Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: A British-era air raid bunker in Digboi has housed the same family for nearly sixty years. The structure sits on land owned by the Assam Oil Division, located directly behind Sishu Bengali Prathmik Vidyalay. It is about 1.5 kilometers from the local police station and the nearby Army base camp. The site is largely hidden by thick bushes and green hillocks.
The family moved in during 1967. The current head of the household, born in 1969, claims his uncle, Manik Banerjee, initiated the occupation while working for the Postal Department. The family has attempted to pay land revenue to the Circle Department and the AOD, but officials refuse the payments. The occupant maintains he holds documentation regarding the property, though these claims remain unverified.
The bunker remains intact, with sections extending both above and below the ground. While other wartime sites at Golf Links, Tipam Road, Golai Terminal, and the Centenary Museum draw tourists and researchers, this specific bunker receives no attention. No government department or oil division representative has moved to restore or document the site.
An official from the AOD Land Section admitted he knew of the bunker but denied knowledge of the family living inside. He noted that such structures could serve a purpose in a conflict. Regarding the potential future of the site, he noted, "Wartime structures of this nature could potentially be used by military forces during a war-like situation, depending on the circumstances." There is currently no official inventory or plan to secure the site.
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