DISPUR, Assam: A workshop on ‘Rivers and wetlands of Guwahati City towards an integrated action plan for rejuvenation, conservation and sustainable urban development’, organised by Aranyak, a biodiversity conservation organisation, aimed to develop an action plan for rejuvenation and conservation of the local water bodies to achieve sustainable urban development.
Ashok Singhal, Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs and Irrigation, Government of Assam attended the workshop and stated that the root cause of the problem lies in the haphazard and unplanned development of the city over the years which led to wetlands and streams being polluted.
Singhal said that water bodies throughout the country must be protected and workshops like this will result in the sustainable conservation of water bodies in and around the city and help restore them. He also mentioned that the state government is working towards rejuvenating the water bodies and in the coming years, 50-60 per cent of municipal waste would be processed through a project.
At the workshop, Dr Partha Jyoti Das, Environmental Scientist, Head of Aaranyak’s Water, Climate and Hazard division (WATCH) stated, “In the case of some wetlands, the interconnecting channels have disappeared due to unpragmatic constructions and land development.”
The workshop was jointly organised with the Assam Science Technology and Environment Council (ASTEC) and supported by the State Innovation and Transformation Aayog (SITA).