OUR CORRESPONDENT
TEZPUR: Ouguri hill in Tezpur, a geological treasure, natural shield against the Brahmaputra’s fury, and an enduring part of the city’s identity is once again under assault. This time, the threat comes not from nature’s wrath but from the very hands entrusted with protecting it. Preparations are underway to build an ‘Adarsh Anganwadi Centre’ under the Social Welfare Department, and shockingly, the chosen site requires cutting into the historic Ouguri hill itself.
The irony is glaring. While the Union Minister publicly boasts about the government’s commitment to building modern, model Anganwadi centres, the execution of this vision is coming at the expense of an irreplaceable natural asset. The hill range, running parallel to the Brahmaputra along Tezpur’s southern boundary is more than just a scenic backdrop. These hills are a geological bulwark, historically recognized for their role in protecting the city from erosion. The British colonial administration, well over a century ago, understood their value enough to enforce strict legal protections against their destruction. Yet, in present-day Assam, those very safeguards appear to be treated as little more than archival footnotes.
Sources reveal that the Anganwadi Centre in Ward No. 19 was initially proposed on a different slope of Ouguri hill. That plan was shelved after local residents objected. However, instead of moving the project to a safer, more suitable location, officials merely shifted their sights to another section of the same hill. Now, earthmovers have arrived, soil is being ripped away, and the sound of excavation echoes through the once-serene slopes.
The list of voices opposing this move is growing louder. Community leaders such as social workers Kabul Sarma, Bakul Bora, and Minu Boro, AAJU President Pankaj Kumar Nath, North West Tezpur Xahitya Xabha Secretary Prashant Das, and social worker Dulumani Bora have filed a memorandum with the District Commissioner Sonitpur. They strongly urged an immediate halt to the excavation work and called for the cancellation of any land allotment for the project at this site. Their objection goes beyond environmental preservation—it is also a matter of public safety. They warned that weakening the structural integrity of these hills could make Tezpur vulnerable to severe erosion, potentially leading to catastrophic consequences that would threaten both lives and property.
But perhaps the most troubling aspect is that this is not an isolated incident. Residents point to a pattern of repeated attempts to cut into these protected hills under the guise of development. Each time, the public raises objections, and each time, the warnings go unheeded. The result is an ongoing cycle of environmental damage and administrative apathy.
The protesters have also expressed deep concern over a recurring pattern similar excavations have been carried out on these hills under the guise of various government projects in the past. Each time, residents have raised their voices, yet the destructive cycle continues. They argue that this persistence in altering the hills, despite repeated objections, reflects a troubling disregard for both environmental and civic welfare.
In light of these developments, citizens demanded that the government take concrete steps to protect Ouguri hill from further degradation, enforce the long-standing legal safeguards, and ensure that public interest and environmental preservation are placed above all else.
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