Assam’s capital city could see several simultaneous save-the-ecology campaigns following the state government’s commitment to preserving the city’s heritage and environment.

The move has been triggered by the ongoing campaign to save heritage trees at Dighalipukhuri gathering steam and the BJP-led state government’s announcement on X on Wednesday that it will “discuss possible alternatives for the upcoming GNB flyover in order to avoid West & East Dighalipukhuri Road” to avoid cutting of heritage trees in the Dighalipukhuri area.

The PWD (Roads) department has been asked to submit its report within a week with proposed modalities on how to avoid Dighalipukhuri, a historic and popular city landmark with a half-a-mile-long man-made pond surrounded by trees which are more than 100 years old.

A day after the government assurance on X, residents of Bharalumukh, about 2km from Dighalipukhiri, have started flagging the demand to spare the 74 heritage trees along the Brahmaputra which are to be felled to build a railway overbridge.

The residents will start vigil in batches and have also asked those living in the vicinity of the trees marked to be chopped by the PWD department to alert everyone if anybody tries to fell the trees.

On Thursday morning, a few residents were seen with placards that said, “We don’t want flyovers” and “Don’t cut trees”. A Bharalumukh resident said they are in support of the overbridge to ease traffic congestion.

“We knew some trees would be felled but the trees they marked last week for felling is much more than required. We request the authorities to take a relook or the area will become completely barren. We don’t want this kind of development. This has happened because the authorities are not conducting public hearings or sharing details,” he said.