Guwahati’s VIP road to get Rs 15cr pedestrian-friendly makeover

Guwahati: VIP Road in the Six Mile area of Guwahati, which connects Dispur and links to Assam’s Morigaon district, is set for a major infrastructure overhaul. The 5.4-km stretch up to Patharquarry will be redeveloped into a pedestrian-friendly corridor at an estimated cost of Rs 15.59 crore.The project will be jointly executed by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) Town and Country Planning (T&CP) and Guwahati Smart City Limited (GSCL). Announcing the initiative, GMC mayor Mrigen Sarania said, “Junctions will be redesigned for safer crossings, streetlights and CCTV cameras will be installed, bollards and railings will be added for pedestrian safety, on-street parking will be created for smoother traffic flow, and new footpaths will be constructed.” He added that work is expected to begin in Jan next year.VIP Road is lined with schools, hospitals, shops, and residential colonies, but residents have long complained about inadequate infrastructure, particularly poor street lighting. Locals say the lack of illumination has created chaos and heightened safety risks after dark. “During winter nights, streetlights are extremely important as our area remains quite open and risky. There have been incidents of snatching, and the darkness only adds to our fear,” said Nilima Deka, a resident of Juripar.Residents of Patharquarry have also reported anti-social activities, alleging that substance abusers exploit the poorly lit areas to gather and engage in drug use. They say the darkness has made the locality more vulnerable. “Apart from this, the area faces night-time hazards like erratic parking and frequent accidents at poorly designed junctions in Satgaon and Narengi, especially during low-visibility hours,” said Bruno Khaklari, another resident.