The Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) office at Rehabari will be converted into a residential colony fulfilling the long-pending demand of employees of the forest department.
“The project has been given to Brahmaputra Infrastructure Limited (BIL) and its estimated cost is Rs. 34 crores. There will be four blocks and the construction work has already started,” said Hirdesh Mishra, chief conservator of forest.
He said that the officials from across the state come to the city but they don’t have places to stay in and except the forest department, all the departments have their residential colonies and therefore the government has come up with a decision to construct the colony. “It was since Meghalaya was separated from Assam when the office was shifted from Meghalaya to Guwahati but there was no residence for the officials,” said Mishra. He further informed that it will be completed by October, 2018.
Rehabari Citizens’ Forum opposed construction of forest residential colony
The Rehabari Citizens’ Forum has opposed the construction of forest residential colony at Rehabari and has demanded a public park so that people could get an open space for walking and for children to play. Commenting on the controversy CCF Hirdesh Mishra said that there are some people who always create controversy.
“I always support that there should be a park in the city but it could be constructed in another place instead of constructing one on the forest land. The officers of the department are also in need of a house to live in and it is only after the Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup (M) has ordered to continue the construction process, the work has started again,” Mishra said.
“There were two quarters on the front side and there was a water body (beel) at the back of the office which has been converted into conservation of forest by filling the beel. After shifting the office to Panjabari, the space remained vacant for a few days and the government decided to develop the same for smart city project but it has come to notice that they will utilize the area for forest colony which has been opposed by the local people,” said social activist and vice-president of Save Guwahati Build Guwahati, Ajoy Dutta, while speaking to G Plus.
Dutta further informed that the locals of Rehabari have urged the tourism department to make it a tourist park but it is very unfortunate that the tourism department has not come up with any solution and that the office of tourism has been located in the land of wetland which has been encroached by the government itself. “It has been demanded by the local people that the space should be kept open for public and tourists so that children and elderly people could spend some time in the open and also people could take shelter in that space if any major earthquake occurs,” Dutta said.
The locals of Rehabari had also protested against the decision of the government in July when it was intervened by Additional Deputy Commissioner (Law and Order) Pulak Mahanta and he said that the matter has been taken by Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup (M). Angamuthu and the order has been given a stay order saying that no construction work will be done and that they will try to make a park for the public but it has been seen that now the construction work has again started in that place and it will be a forest quarter.
Forest department violates Guwahati water body Act, 2008
It has been alleged by the Rehabari Citizens’ Forum that the forest department has violated all the rules of Guwahati water body Act, 2008 by starting the construction of a residential colony on the land of the water body. Under the Guwahati Water Bodies (Preservation, Conservation and Protection) Act, 2008, four wetlands – Deepor Beel, Saru Sola Beel, Bar Sola Beel and Silsako Beel were notified as protected ones in 2008. In 2010, this legislation was amended to add sections five and six to it for notifying the Bondajan water body as a protected one. “The forest department has itself cut down the forest trees and the land in which the construction work is going on is not government’s but of the Borsola water body and according to the Guwahati Water Bodies (Preservation, Conservation and Protection) Act, 2008, no building construction could be done on the land of water bodies but the forest department has violated all the rules and started construction in the land of water bodies for making a residential colony of the forest department,” said Bipul Sarma, resident of Rehabari.
Sola beel, one of the notable wetlands of the city, is situated near Paltan Bazaar. It has been identified as a large water storage beel. The beel once provided a habitat for a large number of flora and fauna and receives rainwater from nearest hills and plains. Sola beel consists of the Barsola and the Sarusola. The misfortune of this beel (the composite) started when the revenue department initiated the process of issuing land documents to the people who started residing on its banks. While issuing the documents, the importance of this wetland as a storm water reservoir was not taken into consideration. Encroachment started on the lake and as a result, the size of the beel started shrinking rapidly.
- Residential colony of forest under construction at Rehabari
- The project will be completed by October, 2018
- The project has been given to Brahmaputra Infrastructure Limited
- It is a 34 crore project
- Rehabari Citizens’ Forum opposed the construction of residential colony
- Locals of Rehabari demanded a park in the area