The recent felling of hundreds of Som and Noni trees at Resham Nagar in Guwahati’s Khanapara has stirred a quiet storm. The justification? To facilitate the temporary return of the 16th-century Vrindavani Vastra—woven under the direct supervision of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev—from the British Museum. However, this cultural milestone is being overshadowed by the “smoke” of government-led environmental destruction. As someone who has closely observed our state’s heritage management, I feel compelled to present the facts.
The Conditions of the ‘Return’
In November 2025, following a formal request from the Chief Minister of Assam, the British Museum agreed to send the Vrindavani Vastra to Assam under strict conditions. The authorities stipulated that the public could view the antique cloth in 2027 for a period ranging from 6 to 18 months.
Because this textile is a rare global artifact, the Government of India must provide a Sovereign Guarantee to the British Government. Furthermore, the British authorities concluded that no existing museum in Guwahati met the climate-controlled standards required for the artifact. Consequently, the Assam government designated 45,000 square feet in Resham Nagar for a new “Heritage Museum,” to be built by the JSW Group under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.
Valuable trees have already been sacrificed to build a structure intended for a display lasting only a few months.
The Environmental Question: Why Resham Nagar?
At a time when Guwahati’s Air Quality Index (AQI) is frequently more alarming than that of New Delhi, why were alternatives not considered? If existing facilities fell short, why weren’t the Assam State Museum in Ambari or the Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Panjabari upgraded?
Twenty-five years ago, I was associated with the museum at Sankardev Kalakshetra and underwent specialized training at the Indian Museum in Kolkata (2000). Had the government renovated the existing museum at Kalakshetra or built a new wing within its campus, hundreds of trees essential to Guwahati’s ecosystem could have been saved. Why is there no political will to preserve these trees, especially as Guwahati hurtles toward becoming one of the world’s most polluted cities?
Broken Promises: The Policy Gap
To understand the current crisis, one must look at the promises made in the BJP’s ‘Assam Vision Document 2016-25’ and the 2021 ‘Sankalp Patra.’ Key pledges included:
- Protecting heritage trees and biodiversity.
- Implementing the Biological Diversity Act in letter and spirit.
- Developing an Urban Pollution Control Board.
- Increasing forest cover to 35% and planting 15 crore indigenous trees through the ‘Seuji Assam’ drive.
The Grim Reality of Deforestation
The data tells a different story. According to the Global Forest Watch, between 2001 and 2024, Assam lost 340,000 hectares of forest land—a 12% decrease. The India State of Forest Report 2025 reveals that between 2021 and 2023 alone, the state lost 83.92 square kilometers of forest.
District-wise loss (2001–2024):
- Karbi Anglong: 130 kilo-hectares (kha)
- Dima Hasao: 85 kha
- Sonitpur: 18 kha
- Tinsukia: 16 kha
- Kokrajhar: 15 kha
Urban Destruction: The Guwahati Experience
The government’s “stubborn” approach is most visible in its urban projects. Regarding the Noonmati-Dighalipukhuri flyover, officials initially promised to spare the historic trees of Dighalipukhuri. However, they later pivoted, extending the flyover to the District Library and cutting the trees as originally planned.
As a citizen, it is difficult to understand why these rare trees were sacrificed for a flyover that has barely eased traffic. It is perhaps the only flyover in the world with a roundabout so complex it requires seven to eight traffic police officers stationed 24/7 just to manage the flow.
A State-Wide Pattern
The statistics of tree felling for road expansion across Assam are equally staggering:
- Chaygaon-Goalpara Highway: 8,000 Teak trees.
- Jonai: Several thousand trees.
- Six Mile & Bharalumukh: 96 trees combined.
The total number of trees lost to “progress” across the state has likely never been fully disclosed to the public. Most recently, the Guwahati Wildlife Division issued a tender to clear 8.12 hectares within the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary for a Ring Road—a Rs 65.15 lakh project with a 90-day deadline. This follows the controversial establishment of a commando camp inside the Geleky Reserved Forest, alleged to be in violation of the Forest Conservation Act.
The Ultimate Question
While the government promotes the Amrit Briksha Andolan and slogans like “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam,” one must ask: how many of those saplings are actually alive?
If the government is truly committed to nature, why is it relentlessly cutting down our ancient trees and encroaching on sanctuaries? In whose interest is this destruction being carried out? The people of Assam must be the judges.