STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: In a heartfelt appeal highlighting environmental awareness and civic responsibility, two young students from Guwahati have written to the Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, seeking intervention to reclaim the Bharalu River as a living river rather than merely a drainage channel.
Miss Debolakshi Sarma, a Class 10 student, and Master Chakshit Om Sarma, a Class 4 student, drew the Union minister’s attention to the deteriorating condition of the Bharalu, once considered one of Guwahati city’s beautiful rivers. In their representation, the students noted that, for various reasons, the river has gradually lost its natural charm and identity.
The letter refers to a significant and symbolic event held on October 5, 2025, when a boat race was organized on the Bharalu for the first time in the city’s history. The event, they said, marked a turning point in public perception and created awareness that the Bharalu is “not merely a drain, but a river”. “For many citizens, the boat race was more than a sporting event; it was a symbolic act of reclaiming Guwahati’s forgotten river,” the students stated, adding that the Bharalu holds immense potential to be developed into a tourist and recreational attraction if restored properly. Through their appeal, the students urged the Union Minister to take necessary steps to reclaim and rejuvenate the Bharalu River, expressing hope that such action would help Guwahati rediscover its ecological and cultural connection with the river.
Also read: Letters to THE EDITOR: Bharalu River covered only during cricket