STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: In a remarkable first for the city, a boat race was held on the Bharalu River on Sunday as part of the ongoing “Save Bharalu” campaign, a grassroots initiative aimed at highlighting the river’s alarming state of pollution and neglect.
The event, featuring four boats, started at Jonali on Zoo Road and concluded at Rajgarh — a symbolic route chosen to remind citizens that the Bharalu, often dismissed as a drain, is in fact a natural river with cultural and ecological significance.
“Through this event, we want to raise awareness and show that Bharalu is not merely a drain, but a river that can be revived,” said one of the organizers.
The organizers admitted that the idea of holding a boat race on the Bharalu was initially met with skepticism.
“People didn’t believe we could do it. The river’s condition is bad, yes, but that’s exactly why we had to do it — to make people look again and care,” they added.
Active since 2021, the “Save Bharalu” movement has been advocating for the restoration of the river through public participation, clean-up drives, and awareness initiatives. Campaigners hope that such creative events will push authorities to implement concrete measures for desilting, waste management, and long-term rejuvenation of the waterway.
For many, Sunday’s race was more than a sporting event — it was a symbolic act of reclaiming Guwahati’s forgotten river.
“We want the government and citizens alike to see that the Bharalu can breathe again — if only we let it,” said an organizer, as the boats glided across the murky but determined waters of the city’s most talked-about river.
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