Skip to content Skip to navigation

Guwahati ropeway project in doldrums

By Daya Nath Singh |

Much awaited Rs32 crore aerial ropeway project between north and south banks of Brahmaputra river connecting Guwahati city and North Guwahat, undertaken by the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) remains under the shadow of uncertainty due to objection raised by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI). According to reliable sources the GMDA issued work order for construction of the ropeway connecting both banks of the Brahmaputra via Urvashi Island to M/s Samir Damodar Ropeway Pvt Ltd, who constructed four big size RCC pillars in the Umananda Island to install high structure for ropeway project. Getting reports of some irregularities a team of a NGO, namely, Citizens’ First, consisting of Ajay Dutta, Ex- MLA, Krishna Kanto Borooah, Jagannath Das, General Secretary of the Forum and renowned archaeologist, Dr Pradip Sarma, visited the site of construction on the Umananda Island and found that the said company had occupied a portion of the island and piled deep inside its rock bed to raise RCC pillars. By its such act, the company had not only made an undue invasion in Umananda Island, but it made an onslaught on the revered place of Hindus.


In a memorandum to the Chief Secretary, Government of Assam, they said that it had come to the notice of the visiting team that the company damaged different sculptures of ancient period, which were found lying scattered there. By such irresponsible and improper acts the company clearly violated the provisions of Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act. The memorandum further mentioned that there had been a raging controversy regarding the construction of ropeway by the side of three islands of Urvashi, Karmanasha and Umananda. These are the witness to ancient ruins of temple and images of Gods and Goddesses. Besides, the islands are revered as place of pilgrimages from ancient times. There were visible signs of Royal sculptures in the islands. Being impressed with the site the British rulers had named the island of Umananda as “Peacock Island.’




The NGO mentioned that the people were very much anguished after the information about such construction on the Umananda Island and demanded the removal of such construction ropeway project. They also demanded that the Archaeology Department should take immediate steps to preserve the ruins of the Island which were lying scattered there. The organization appealed to the Chief Secretary, Assam, to impress upon the construction company to stop construction work on the rock bed of the Umananda Island considering the situation and take necessary legal action against all concerned, who in clear violation of provisions of Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act and the State government notification for taking up such construction work.



After getting the clearance from Environment Ministry and the Inland Waterways Authority, the GMDA had given green signal to begin construction work and the work started in the year 2009, but the problem started when the Ancient Monuments and Archeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation ) Act was passed in the year 2010. The very Act says that no construction works be undertaken within 300 meters areas of the centrally protected monuments/sites. According to GMDA sources the key pillar of the rope way would fall within 230 meters of Urvashi Island and the ASI put objection to it citing the provisions of the Ancient Monuments Act. Following the pressure from ASI, the construction works of the project was stopped since February 2011. The purpose of the ropeway was to boost tourism and reduce the travel time between the North and South banks of the Brahmaputra.



Dr H N Dutta, Director of ASI, Guwahati alleged the violation of by-laws of the Ancient Monuments and Archeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act 2010 by GMDA, as Umananda Island was also an archeologically protected site. The GMDA had changed the ropeway construction plan due to Ancient Monuments Act and has maintained that there was no problem in construction of the key pillar on Umananda Island as the pillar would not cost any impact on the beauty of the river island. The ASI director alleged that the GMDA had also breached its building by-laws while constructing the ropeway. Meanwhile the GMDA submitted around Rs.50 crore new project proposal for the ropeway to the State Government for its clearance and a committee has been formed by the Government headed by the Additional Chief Secretary J Khosla to look into the implimentation of the much hyped project.

Add new comment

Random Stories

Rajnath optimistic

12 Aug 2015 - 12:23pm | AT News
Speakers after speakers blamed both Delhi and Dispur for the failure to implement the Assam Accord even 30 years after it was signed.Participating at an AASU-sponsored seminar on the historic pact in...

Female leopard tortured to death in Orangajuli TE

10 Jun 2011 - 12:50pm | Jayanta Kumar Das
In another cruel human act in Udalguri district, a female leopard was beaten to death in Orangajuli TE on June 8 at 3 pm.The leopard which had by mistake entered human locality called Samosa Line...

Antarctica Expedition member visits Don Bosco University

1 Sep 2013 - 9:07pm | CM Paul
The Assam Don Bosco University (ADBU) had a visit from the one and only member of the Antartica Expedition 2013 from Northeast India. Rituraj Phukan from Nagaon  (Assam) was part of 30 member...

Rethinking the Perceptions of Issue Politicization

11 May 2023 - 10:25am | AT News Itanagar
The wrestlers’ protests in Delhi and the APPSC paper leakage scam in Arunachal have one thing in common– constant protest by the affected individuals and the public discrediting the core issue...

Other Contents by Author

People react to CM’s outburst

Recent price hike in essential commodities has badly affected the common people throughout the country in general and the citizens of urban and rural areas of Assam are the most sufferers. Most of the consumer items are imported to this state from other states of the country, as the local production is not sufficient to cater the local needs. The state administration ‘lacking the will-power’ to establish industries, has to bring almost all manufactured goods to the state from outside. While entering into the state the carriers of such goods have to suffer a lot at the check gates established by the state government and managed by the state officials and the ‘brokers...

Who cares for Assam’s development?

With recent reports on developmental activities in Assam, it seems that nobody desires the betterment and development of the state. The state administration, student organization, political leaders, bureaucrats, officials and various growing mushroom-like organizations, all are running after money and ‘easy money’. Assam’s industry minister, Pradyut Bardoloi recently came out openly on certain student leaders, who demand money from the industrialists, who come here to invest their money for the development of the state. He cited an example of such demand from a cement factory at Dimoria, to be started by the Star Cement. an organization of repute. The government has...

Guwahati IGNOU into CBI trap, Chief likely to become scapegoat

The Central Investigation Bureau (CBI) has arrested an employee of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Guwahati Centre on alleged charges of financial scam worth about Rs.26 lakh. On Monday last the accused, Niranjan, was granted three days remand by CBI Special court. According to Senior CBI Chief, Hiren Nath, huge financial irregularities were reported in this prestigious institution and accordingly the CBI began investigation and detected a scam of Rs.25.65 lakh. The CBI has registered a case No. RC 0172010A0007, against the Director of IGNOU, Guwahati Centre, Dr Vardhini Bhattacharjee and the office assistant, Niranjan. The CBI has also seized all the records and...

UPFA warns against dividing indigenous people of Assam

United Peoples’ Federation of Assam (UPFA) has warned the State and the political parties to refrain from dividing the indigenous people of Assam by creating differences through their activities and behavior. Addressing the media persons on Thursday last at Guwahati Press Club, the UPFA President, Jebra Ram Muchahary, expressed concern over grilling of militant leaders, show casing of ceasefire and ‘so-called drama’ of mass surrender ceremonies and release of jailed leaders. He said that these exercises would not bring real peace in the state and demanded a meaningful settlement of all issues through process of negotiation fulfilling the genuine political aspirations of...

Anusuchit Jati Mahasabha demands CBI probe in Scheduled Cast department scam

Anusuchit Jati Mahasabha, Assam has alleged high-level corruption in the Directorate of Scheduled Caste, Assam. Addressing the media persons, in Guwahati, the President of the organization, Chandra Kamal Bhagawati said that his organization came to know through Right To Information (RTI) Act 2005 that the funds meant for the development of the scheduled caste and tribes were misused by the directorate officials. Therefore, the Mahasabha has demanded a CBI probe in this matter. He said that for getting some information under the RTI Act his organization filed a petition and the copy of the same was sent to the Chief Minister, Assam, Minister for development of SC/ST department and...

Forget Paresh Baruah factor, let the country’s law prevail

Assam has suffered a lot due to ongoing movement on ‘sovereignty’ by United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), for last three decades. Thousands of innocent people including women, children, aged and media persons, have been killed during this period by the outfit activists and the security forces, due to this conflict. The State has been pushed backward and no development activities could be undertaken by the State government. The funds allotted by the Central Government to the State for development, were ‘misused’ by the State for ‘buying peace’ to the ministers, VIPs and the bureaucrats. Several efforts were done by eminent persons, organizations and...

Of late the Prime Minister thinks right

With increasing insurgency and deteriorating law and order situation in the country, the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, seems to have realized that the functioning of his government lacks some vital points, which should have been taken care of long before announcing the welfare schemes meant for the common people of the country. The benefits under almost all the welfare schemes have failed to reach the real beneficiaries, leading to a condition of mistrust over the functioning of the government machineries. Huge funds allotted by the Central Government to the States under developmental schemes ‘dried-up midway’ mysteriously. Bogus utilization certificates were and are...

Hire and fire continues in Assam’s media

Taking advantage of easily available MASS communication degree holders and serious unemployment problems in the state the media houses in Assam have got an opportunity to ‘hire and fire’ the media men, whimsically. The Fourth Estate in Assam is deprived of ‘fair deals’ despite the existing ‘The Working Journalists and other Newspaper Employees (Condition of Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955, enforced. Under this Act, the Central Government constituted Wage Board for suggesting salary and perks for journalists and other workers in media. This Act is confined and has its jurisdiction up to print media only. In the year 1985, the Bachhawat Wage...

Now Barak Valley demands separate economic development council

Being disillusioned by top-level corruption and slow pace of development in the Barak Valley, the southern-most part of the Assam state, the people have now raised demands for a separate economic development council for the region. Under the banner of Barak Valley Economic Development Council Demand Committee, the Central committee President, Kishore Kumar Bhattacharjee along with Karimganj unit chief, Jyotirmoy Das, Hailakandi unit chief, Mahibur Rahman Choudhury and Cachar unit chief, Nimai Sarma, submitted a memorandum to Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi in Guwahati during first week of this month demanding construction and improvement of roads under the area and early completion...

BJP detractors at cross-roads!

The BJP detractors, the four Members of Assam Legislative Assembly, who defied the party whip during recent Rajya Sabha elections and cast their votes in favor of the candidates of Congress Party, now seem to have facing a tough time to save their political career. They have around them a bitter atmosphere in their constituencies and their high dreams are shattered. Now they have the only alternative to join the Congress Party, for which they are trying their best. The Assembly elections in Assam next year may put them in difficult situation for various reasons. None of the political parties would like to have such ‘salable items’. It may be mentioned here that four...