Guwahati Smart City Ltd or Inland Transport Department did not take-up any project to clean Bahini-Bharalu and Basistha so that it can be used as navigation channels and used for water transport; whereas the proposal which was submitted while pitching for Smart city had objectives of making city rivers water transport-friendly akin to Venice
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Venice’s waterways are crossed every single day by hundreds of water buses, water taxis, gondolas and private motorboats in the same way cars, buses and trams do on normal roads. There are different ways to travel around Venice to suit every budget and need. The water taxi in Venice is one of the fastest and most comfortable for most people. Talking about Guwahati during Advantage Assam held in 2018, Ola had signed a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the Government of Assam for a pilot project of river taxi services in Guwahati but in the river Brahmaputra. The project never became a reality but there was a brainstorming done for such a service in Brahmaputra passing by Guwahati.
Talking about rivers in Guwahati city, the first name that comes to one’s mind is the Brahmaputra, the mighty river that flows by the northern side of the city. However, Brahmaputra is not Guwahati’s own river; it does not belong to Guwahati alone. Brahmaputra touches Guwahati in the middle of its long course of journey. It does not even flow through the city, but by the city. The city of Guwahati lies on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra. In that way, Guwahati is actually another place by the side of the mighty Brahmaputra.
The Bharalu river or rather the Bahini-Bharalu and Basitha river which flow through the heart of the city are the two main rivers that can be termed as the city’s own river. Almost across the whole city from Beltola to Bharalumukh, or Kahanapara to Fatasil one can see these two rivers, though in its sad form of a drainage system. One cannot avoid seeing these rivers if one makes a round of the Guwahati city. Guwahati city, if considered as a settlement or a civilization, then it is the civilization of the Bahini-Bharalu valley. Can’t the Bahini-Bharalu and Basistha be used as water ways for navigation?
A source in Dispur who was in the team which pitched for Smart City projects in 2015 talking to GPlus on condition of anonymity said, “When Guwahati pitched for Smart City projects and Guwahati ranked 17 with a score of 57.66 per cent and made it to the first list of 20 cities of India selected by the Union government to be developed as smart cities, converting Bharalu into a waterways was one of the proposal,” adding that after Guwahati Smart City Ltd (GSCL) was formed no such project was taken up and the proposal was never fulfilled.
Social activist former legislature and Padmashree awardee Ajoy Kumar Dutta talking to GPlus said, “Bahini-Bharalu and Basistha river are taken as drainage system now whereas they are beautiful rivers which can be turned into navigating waterways,” adding that if river taxis start plying the rivers will be cleaned automatically and people will have a psychological pressure of not throwing garbage in the rivers. He said forget about Venice, Chicago or Bangkok the Assam government should learn from cities like Ahmedabad, Varanasi and Cochin. He said the Assam government should learn from the Gujarat government on how they have utilised the Sabarmati river which is very small. Dutta said Jayanta Mallah Baruah is showing seaplanes to the public but has no plan of improving the tourism by developing the beautiful rivers inside the city.
City based engineer JN Khataniar talking to GPlus said, “Not big ships but navigation of river taxis and boats are very much possible in Bharalu and Basistha,” adding that during monsoon there is enough water and in winters with the help of proper planning and closing the sluice gate navigation can be made possible.
Ranel Das, city based architect has the same opinion that during monsoon navigation in the rivers is very much possible and during winters it has to be planned.
When asked if the GSCL has any such plan a senior official of GSCL said, “As of now we have not taken any such project,” adding that the Inland Water Transport department should work on it.
A senior official of the Inland Water Transport department talking to GPlus said, “There were talks on such plans and river taxis were thought of in Brahmaputra and the other rivers running across Guwahati but the plan is stalled for various reasons.” He said that new studies are being conducted to see the feasibility.
A source in the ministry of housing and urban affairs said that there are some proposals for converting Bahini-Bharalu and Basistha into water ways for transportation but the projects are not yet assigned to any department. There are discussions going on and very soon the projects will be assigned to either IWT, GSCL or GMDA.
Whether Bharalu or Basistha, these rivers were not always drains. Due to the absence of a sewage network in the city these rivers became drains or sewage canals. It seems, rivers like Bharalu lost their river characteristics post 1985 with rapid demographic change of the city and due to negligence of authorities.
The rivers of Guwahati which are now considered as drainage systems if cleaned and allowed navigation, Guwahti could become a city like Venice.
