Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Unplanned infrastructure projects are gutting Assam. Senior Gauhati High Court advocate Kamal Nayan Choudhury slammed current development efforts for ignoring environmental realities. He specifically targeted a proposed flyover linking Dighalipukhuri and Noonmati. He asked where the expert assessment was for that project. "I fail to understand what was the necessity of this flyover from Dighalipukhuri to Noonmati," Choudhury said.
Addressing the environmental collective Dharitri Suraksha Mancha in Guwahati, he warned that constitutional protections are being bypassed. He noted that Guwahati now faces floods in areas previously untouched by water. He blamed poor construction for destroying natural drainage. Cleaning drains in April cannot stop the flooding. He demanded immediate, medium, and long-term action from the state.
Choudhury also pointed to the Dighalipukhuri flyover litigation. He claimed the government broke a High Court undertaking to change the project alignment. Initially, plans dictated that one arm would end at Lamb Road and another near Roopnagar Road. He alleged the project expanded well beyond that promise.
The advocate highlighted a broader failure to enforce laws. He cited the dilution of the Forest Conservation Act of 1980 through executive action. He connected illegal coal and sand mining to recent disasters often labeled as natural. Choudhury invoked Article 48A and Article 51A(g) of the Constitution to remind the state and citizens of their duty to protect the land. He referenced landmark legal precedents like the M.C. Mehta case and the Vellore Citizens' Welfare Forum v. Union of India ruling. He warned that without political will, legal principles remain toothless.
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