GUWAHATI, June 20: The Brahmaputra Board has launched a project to develop the Basistha riverfront in Guwahati, with an aim to restore and improve a stretch of the river that has been affected by indiscriminate dumping of solid waste over the years.
The Basistha Riverfront Development Project will be undertaken along the river stretch adjacent to the Board headquarters in Basistha area of the city, an official statement said.
The project was inaugurated on Friday by Brahmaputra Board chairman Ranbir Singh, with residents of the area, senior citizens and other officials also present on the occasion.
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Over time, the left bank road-cum-embankment adjoining the Brahmaputra Board campus had become a dumping site for solid waste, leading to environmental degradation, foul odour, mosquito breeding and public health concerns. The project has been taken up to address these issues and improve the condition of the riverfront, the statement said.
The development work covers approximately 370 metres of the Basistha river and includes landscaping and plantation, development of green spaces, pedestrian pathways, viewing areas, riverbank protection measures and improvements in sanitation and waste management.
Efforts will also be made to enhance local biodiversity and create a clean and accessible public space for residents.
The Brahmaputra Board has partnered with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) for planning and designing the project.
The initiative is expected to serve as a model for similar riverfront improvement and river rejuvenation efforts in other stretches of the Basistha river, the statement added.
Originating in East Khasi Hills of adjoining Meghalaya, the Basistha river flows through a part of Guwahati before merging with the Deepor Beel, a natural wetland. It also flows through the Basistha Ashram, a famed Hindu pilgrimage site. (PTI)
