Guwahati, Oct 15: The city is looking to turn some of its busiest traffic junctions into pockets of green, with the state government launching an initiative to transform spaces beneath flyovers into vertical gardens and improve the city’s urban environment. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Thursday, inaugurated a vertical green wall beneath Bhagadatta Fly over-1 in Dispur, marking the expansion of a citywide project that envisages green walls at 20 locations beneath flyovers.

“The project began at the GNRC fly over and will now be extended to 20 locations across the city,” Sarma said. A five-year maintenance contract has also been provided to ensure the upkeep of the green walls.

“Through this scheme, we will bring green coverage to flyovers and other appropriate places. When people see these green spaces, they will feel happy and be inspired to protect the environment.

It will also make the city look beautiful,” he said. Beyond aesthetics, the project is aimed at addressing pollution in areas where traffic remains stationary for extended periods.

The initiative also reflects a changing approach to the use of spaces beneath flyovers. “Earlier, we used to put up nets beneath flyovers to prevent vehicles from parking there.

After the bomb blast at the Ganeshguri fly over, we began viewing flyovers as potential terrorist threats. That situation no longer exists.

Now, vehicles are parked in some places, while other spaces are used for badminton courts or under the Xeujiya Prasir initiative,” he said. Keeping the green walls alive will require more than planting alone.

The GMC has involved agencies, including the Guwahati Jal Board and the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL), to facilitate the irrigation and power infrastructure needed for the project. The five-year maintenance arrangement is intended to support the long-term upkeep of the installations.

Whether the green walls can deliver sustained environmental benefits will depend on their maintenance and how effectively the city manages these spaces over time. For Guwahati, the project marks an attempt to give underused urban infrastructure a greener purpose while addressing the environmental pressures associated with growing traffic.