Guwahati is undergoing a major green transformation as the city administration rolls out a Rs 25-crore urban beautification project to install lush vertical gardens under its busiest flyovers.
Initiated by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) and the Assam Government, the massive environmental project targets the concrete pillars of 20 major flyovers and traffic corridors across the city, aiming to systematically convert nearly 8,000 square metres of bare structures into living ecosystems.
Workers have already begun securing specialised steel frameworks around the pillars at high-traffic zones, including the Bhagadatta Flyover near the Supermarket, as well as the Aryanagar and Dispur structures.
Providing the latest update on the rollout, GMC Commissioner Chinmoy Phookan stated that the locations were carefully chosen to combat vehicular emissions. "These locations can be termed pollution hotspots because of the high volume of vehicular emissions. Accordingly, such areas have been identified for the project," Phookan said.
According to senior officials, the civic body is expediting the timeline, with the massive 10,000-square-foot vertical garden installation at the Supermarket Police Point on GS Road and the Aryanagar structure slated to be fully operational before the upcoming Durga Puja festival.
The project aims to permanently lower road dust and enhance the city's overall Ease of Living Index.