By NE NOW NEWS
Guwahati: The Brahmaputra Board has launched the Basistha Riverfront Development Project in Guwahati, an initiative to restore a degraded stretch of the Basistha River and transform it into an environmentally sustainable public space.
The project, inaugurated on Friday by Brahmaputra Board Chairman Ranbir Singh, will be implemented along the riverfront adjacent to the Board’s headquarters in the Basistha area. Local residents, senior citizens, and officials attended the launch event.
According to the Board, the initiative has been conceived to address the deteriorating condition of the riverbank and the adjoining left-bank road-cum-embankment, which had gradually turned into an unofficial dumping ground for solid waste. Years of indiscriminate garbage disposal have resulted in environmental degradation, unpleasant odours, mosquito breeding, and growing public health concerns in the locality.
To reverse the damage and improve the riverfront environment, development work will be carried out over an approximately 370-metre stretch of the river. The project includes landscaping, plantation drives, creation of green spaces, pedestrian walkways, viewing decks, riverbank protection measures, and upgrades to sanitation and waste management infrastructure.
Officials said the riverfront makeover is expected to improve the area’s ecological health while providing residents with a cleaner, safer, and more accessible recreational space. The project also seeks to strengthen local biodiversity by developing green zones and habitat-friendly interventions.
For the planning and design of the project, the Brahmaputra Board has partnered with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), with a focus on ensuring environmentally responsible and aesthetically appealing development.
The Board believes the initiative could serve as a model for future river rejuvenation and riverfront improvement projects along other stretches of the Basistha River.
Originating in the East Khasi Hills of Meghalaya, the Basistha River flows through parts of Guwahati before joining Deepor Beel, one of Assam‘s most important wetland ecosystems. The river also passes through the historic Basistha Ashram, a prominent Hindu pilgrimage centre that attracts devotees and visitors from across the region.