GUWAHATI: Guwahati, 2024, has been a year of stark contrasts, a tale of triumphs and tragedies. From the elation of sporting achievements to the despair of civic failures and untimely deaths, the city has experienced a rollercoaster of multiple events. To take a look back at the year past, GPlus presents a timeline of some of the notable happenings that shaped the year.
The year began on a somber note with the mysterious death of an IIT Guwahati student, Aishwarya, in Paltan Bazar on January 1, 2024. IIT faced another tragedy on August 9 when another student was found hanging in the Disang Hostel.
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On March 19, Guwahati earned an unwanted distinction, ranking as the world’s second most polluted city, just behind Begusarai, Bihar, in the 2023 World Air Quality Report by IQAir.
In the year 2024, the Guwahati also mourned the loss of several prominent figures as firstly renowned Assamese musician, music director, and sound engineer Bhupen Uzir passed away at 70 on January 10. Padma Shri awardee and anti-witch-hunting activist Birubala Rabha also died after a long battle with cancer at 75 on May 13. Veteran actor Kulada Kumar Bhattacharjee, a stalwart of Assamese film and theatre, passed away at 91 on November 1.
In other major happening, Assamese Music Director Ramen Baruah went missing on July 22 and remains untraced despite extensive searches.
On June 24 Riyan Parag became the first cricketer from Assam and the Northeast to be selected for the Indian national team for the Zimbabwe T20I series.
Guwahati’s infrastructure and development came into question on July 4, when an 8-year-old boy was tragically washed away after falling into an unprotected drain during flooding in Jyotinagar.
Lok Sabha Elections started throughout the country and became the centre point of focus as Guwahati on June 4 elected a new Lok Sabha MP, BJP’s Bijuli Kalita Medhi.
Guwahati faced a bomb scare as the city was put on high alert after ULFA (I) announced it had planted bombs in several locations on August 15. Police successfully located and defused the devices. A protest against an eviction drive in Sonapur turned violent, resulting in the deaths of two civilians and injuries to several others on September 12. In such significant deaths in Guwahati, Congress worker and Advocate Mridul Islam also died during a police dispersal of protesters marching towards Raj Bhavan on December 18.
The Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) also finalided its delimitation, expanding the city’s wards from 31 to 60 on September 21.
But, a barrage of major incidents also occurred in the final phase of the year as the city opened its doors towards festivities and celebrations.
The flyover construction in Dighalupikhuri was the talk of the town as it also led to multiple protests which finally led to modification of the construction plans essentially saving the ecology around Dighalipukhuri. On October 30, following public protests, the Assam government reversed its decision regarding the design of a flyover landing near Dighalipukhuri, addressing concerns about the felling of old trees.
A controversial incident involving police brutality surfaced on November 14 when Inspector Bhargav Borbora assaulted a delivery boy and a Cotton College student. He was subsequently suspended. This incident shook up the entire state systems, questioning city’s police authorities and citizen safety, along with a demand for stricter action for the accused.
Assam also had a lot to talk about as certain major state happenings were also observed.
Adding to list of Assam’s achievements, on July 26 ‘Moidams’ were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, a significant achievement for Assam cultural heritage. Sualkuchi was also recognised by the Ministry of Tourism as one of the best tourism villages in the ‘craft category’ on Sepetember 19. In a major declaration on November 21, Assam government officially renamed Karimganj district to Sribhumi. Additionally, on December 4 the Assam government banned beef in restaurants, hotels, and public places.
Guwahati’s 2024 has been a year of highs and lows, a reflection of the challenges facing a rapidly developing city. The moments of pride and joy have at times been marred by the grim occurrences and solemn incidents, as the resident open their arms towards a new year 2025 hoping for better times to come.
