Brahmaputra Board Begins Basistha River Rejuvenation Drive in Guwahati

In a significant step towards urban river restoration and sustainable city development, the Brahmaputra Board has launched the Basistha Riverfront Development Project in Guwahati, aiming to transform a polluted stretch of the Basistha River into a clean, ecologically sensitive and people-friendly public space.

The project was inaugurated on June 19 by Brahmaputra Board Chairman Dr Ranbir Singh at the Board's headquarters in Basistha. Local residents, senior citizens and officials participated in the launch, highlighting growing community involvement in environmental conservation efforts. The initiative is being implemented in partnership with INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) , which will provide planning and design support for the project.

Officials said the project seeks to address years of environmental degradation caused by indiscriminate dumping of solid waste along the left-bank road-cum-embankment adjoining the Board campus. The area had become a source of foul odour, mosquito breeding and public health concerns, necessitating urgent intervention.

Spread across a 370-metre stretch , the riverfront redevelopment will include landscaping, plantation drives, green spaces, pedestrian walkways, viewing decks, riverbank protection works, and upgraded sanitation and waste-management infrastructure. The project also aims to improve local biodiversity and enhance public access to the river. According to reports, the restoration work is expected to be completed within about eight months , making it one of the first focused urban riverfront rejuvenation efforts undertaken by the Brahmaputra Board in the Northeast.

The initiative aligns with the Board's broader mandate under the Ministry of Jal Shakti to promote integrated river basin management, flood control and sustainable water-resource development across the Northeast. Officials described the project as a potential model for river rejuvenation that could be replicated along other stretches of the Basistha River and similar urban waterways in the region.

Originating in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills, the Basistha River flows through southern Guwahati before joining Deepor Beel , a Ramsar-recognised wetland of international importance. The river also passes the historic Basistha Ashram , a revered Hindu pilgrimage site associated with sage Vashistha, underscoring the cultural and ecological significance of the restoration effort.