Page 2 - Guwahati

Kharge, Rahul on day-long visit to Assam, to interact with Congress workers

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will be visiting Assam on Wednesday, during which they will interact with party functionaries in the state. This will be the first visit of the party's top leaders since Gaurav Gogoi took over as the state president, ahead of next year's assembly election. Kharge and Gandhi are scheduled to attend two meetings, including one at Chaygaon -- about 40 km from Guwahati, during the day-long trip. Gogoi said on Tuesday that the district, block and mandal presidents of the party will be able to present their views before the leadership during the meetings. "The visit reaffirms the Congress party's shared commitment to justice, harmony, and inclusive progress for all," he said in a post on X.

Flood situation remains critical; Met dept predicts more rain in Assam

The flood situation in Assam remained grim on Monday with the water levels rising in many parts of the state, officials said. The India Meteorological Department's Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Guwahati has said that moderate rainfall is very likely to occur at most places of Assam, while heavy to very heavy rainfall has been predicted at a few places and extremely heavy rainfall in isolated places. A report by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) on Sunday night said that two more people lost their lives in Cachar and Sribhumi districts, and around four lakh people are reeling under the deluge across 15 districts. The total number of people losing their lives in this year's flood and landslides has increased to 10. Cachar is the worst hit with over one lakh people affected, followed by 85,000 people in Sribhumi and 62,000 in Nagaon, it added. The administration has been operating 155 relief camps and relief distribution centres in 12 districts, taking c

Guwahati flooded as Assam faces red alert amid relentless rainfall

IMD issues red alert as Assam reels under heavy rainfall; flooding in Guwahati forces evacuations and paralyses traffic

Guwahati airport operational with enhanced security, say authorities

The Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati, the only international airport in the Northeastern region, is operational with enhanced security protocols, authorities said on Saturday. It urged passengers to adhere to all security checks and arrive at the airport ahead of time, as they may have to wait longer to complete all the procedures. "The airport is operational. Due to enhanced security protocols, passengers may experience longer waiting times at the airport. We recommend that you plan accordingly and connect with your specific airlines for more information," the Adani Group-controlled airport said in a statement. Issuing a list of Do's and Don'ts for travellers, it asked passengers to arrive well in time, allow time for security checks, and cooperate with security and airport personnel. It urged travellers to follow the Guwahati airport's social media channels for accurate and timely information and reach out to the airlines for precise information. The

Assam transforming into a land of peace, prosperity: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Addressing the 32nd Convocation of Gauhati University, the Assam Chief Minister emphasised that India is advancing through the pillars of culture, education, science and the arts

Guwahati Tea Auction centre sets new record, sells ₹3,850 crore tea in FY25

According to the reports of the Tea Board of India, there are over 1.22 lakh Small Tea Growers in 28 districts of Assam, and their tea area is 114847.89 hectares of land

Bodhitree Multimedia signs Rs 500 cr MoU to build media hub in Guwahati

This partnership aims to create Guwahati's first media city, positioning Assam and the Northeast region as key players in the global entertainment sector

NHAI to develop 121-km-long ring road in Guwahati for Rs 5.72K cr

State-owned NHAI will develop a 121-km-long Guwahati Ring Road on build-operate-toll mode at a total cost of Rs 5,729 crore, an official statement said on Thursday. The statement further said the concession period of the contract is 30 years, including the construction period of four years. "Providing impetus to the project, the state government of Assam will bear 50 per cent of land cost, provide exemption from royalty on aggregates and state portion of GST contributing about Rs. 1,270 crore," it said, adding that thus, the gross project cost is about Rs 7,000 crore. The Guwahati Ring Road project will have three sections which include 56 km long 4-lane Access-Controlled Northern Guwahati Bypass, widening of the existing 8 km bypass on NH 27 from four lanes to six lanes, and improvement of existing 58 km long bypass on NH 27. Notably, a 3 km long major bridge over river Brahmaputra will also be constructed as a part of the project. The Guwahati Ring Road will provide seamless ...

Manipur ethnic violence: Cases to be tried in Guwahati itself, says SC

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna also extended till July 31, 2025, the tenure of a committee headed by Justice Gita Mittal

Assam Congress leader held for post; CM Himanta backs police action

Assam Congress spokesperson Reetam Singh was arrested on Saturday for a social media post enquiring about the status of cases against three senior BJP leaders, including two serving MLAs one of whom is a former state party chief. He was arrested at his home in Guwahati by a team from Lakhimpur district police, with assistance from Guwahati Police. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who also holds the Home portfolio, in a post on X said the case pertains to a caste-based insult directed at a Dalit woman. Sarma responded to criticism from Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh, asserting, "If you justify calling the husband of a Dalit woman a rapist as a 'perfectly reasonable' social media post, it speaks volumes about the direction in which you people have taken the Congress party." "But, just waitthe big revelation is yet to come - The nexus of your senior leader with ISI and Pakistan will be exposed by September," Sarma added, referring to the police case against Pakistani ...

IIT Guwahati developing India's 1st VR metaverse for PM SHRI schools

Learning concepts of maths and science in local languages using virtual reality will soon be possible for students at PM Shri Adarsh Vidyalayas in Assam with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati developing the country's first VR-enabled metaverse platform for schools to engage students' curiosity and creativity. The project called "Gyandhara" in collaboration with Ministry of Science and Technology, and Department of Education, Assam Government will start as a pilot initiative in 56 PM Shri schools in Assam, later this year. The program is designed to enhance their educational experience by providing a more engaging way to learn about various scientific and academic topics that might otherwise be abstract or difficult to grasp in traditional learning format. According to Dr. Keyur Sorathia, Associate Professor at the Department of IIT Guwahati, who is spearheading the initiative, the "Gyan Dhara Metaverse" utilises virtual reality (VR) technology for creating interacti

Manipur CM requests Centre to send team to examine high air ticket rates

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Wednesday requested Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu to send a team to examine the soaring price of air tickets from the state to other destinations. Speaking through video conferencing at the launch of three flights of Alliance Air under viability gap funding by the state government, Singh thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Civil Aviation minister for extending support in bringing Alliance Air to Manipur. The Alliance Air will connect Imphal with Kolkata, Guwahati, and Dimapur in Nagaland from Wednesday.. "The price of air tickets is very high here. Please send a team here to examine what is happening. The Delhi to Imphal flight rate has almost gone up to Rs 20,000. Imphal to Guwahati has gone up to Rs 5,000 to 10,000. How common people can afford such high prices," he said. He said "Manipur is passing through a "difficult time" for the last 20 months, people are not moving out through the highways due to the ...

Ashwini Vaishnaw stresses industry-academic coordination for employment

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday said that coordination between industry and academia was necessary to increase the employability of the youth. Vaishnaw was addressing a gathering after flagging off three new trains. 'The requirement of the industry should be provided in college as this increases employability of the youth. Today is a very important day as we inaugurate the National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT) deemed-to-be-university at 12 locations, including five in the Northeast," Vaishnaw said. NIELIT is the only university under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Vaishnaw flagged off Guwahati-New Lakhimpur Janshatabdi Express, New Bongaigaon-Guwahati passenger train and Tinsukia-Naharlagun Express from Guwahati railway station during his day-long visit to Assam. Governor Laxman Prasad Acharya and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma were also present on the occasion. He also virtually inaugurated the Tetelia road .

Guwahati airport records increase in passengers, aircraft movements in 2024

The Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport (LGBIA), Guwahati, recorded the "highest-ever" international passenger and aircraft movements this year since the Adani Group began managing its commercial operations from October 2021, a company statement said on Saturday. The airport also registered an increase in domestic passengers and added new domestic destinations during the year, it said.The facility managed 6.26 million domestic and more than 85,000 international passengers. Of the domestic passengers, 3.09 million were arrivals and 3.17 million departures. Additionally, it handled 47,578 international passenger arrivals and 38,528 international departures, the statement said. The LGBIA has direct flights to three international destinations - Paro, Malaysia and Singapore - which have contributed to a significant increase in the international passenger count and air traffic movements (ATMs), with the airport witnessing 44,746 domestic and 970 international air traffic ...

Assam: CM Himanta dismisses tree cutting controversy over Guwahati flyover

Amidst the ongoing row over cutting century-old trees to give way for a flyover, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has claimed that a section of people have created "unnecessary controversy" to target the developmental works of the government. The Gauhati High Court on Tuesday slapped notices on Assam government over its plans to cut around 25 century-old trees for construction of a four-lane 5.05 km long flyover, the longest in the city, from Dighalipukhuri tank to Noonmati at a cost of Rs 852.68 crore. "For the last six months, I have been noticing that one particular circle is trying to create an unnecessary controversy regarding the flyover and trees of Dighalipukhuri," Sarma told reporters after visiting the construction site near the pond around midnight on Tuesday. He said the second controversy was shifting the statue of doyen of Assam literature Sahityarathi Lakshminath Bezbaroa, and claimed that the flyover will pass above the statue and it will remain where it is .

Assam govt to reconsider cutting century old trees for Guwahati flyover

Amidst ongoing public outcry, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said the government will reconsider its plans to fell dozens of century-old trees in Guwahati to make way for a flyover. On Tuesday, prominent personalities and residents criticised the BJP-led government for planning to chop around 25 treessome as old as 200 yearsalong the banks of Dighalipukhuri tank for the project. The protests continued on Wednesday, with college students, citizens, and local leaders gathering at Dighalipukhuri to voice their concerns. "I want to assure you that the government is deeply committed to preserving our city's heritage and environment while advancing infrastructure. In constructing the flyovers from Dighalupukhuri to Noonmati, we are sincerely working to protect the old trees in the area. I urge all stakeholders to allow the Public Works Department a few days to explore an alternative proposal and assess its feasibility," Sarma said in a post on X. The government is .

Actor Tamannaah Bhatia questioned by ED in HPZ token money laundering probe

Reports indicate that Tamannaah Bhatia was said to have received payments for a 'celebrity appearance' at an event for the app company, but there are no 'incriminating' allegations against her

Guwahati idol-makers anxiously await end of rains to complete Durga idols

An anxious Ratan Paul peeks towards the entrance of his smoke-filled workshop in Guwahati's Pandu area, hoping to catch a bright ray of sunlight without the raindrops cutting it out. Paul claims not to have witnessed such a long spell of incessant rains in his career of nearly 50 years as a sculptor of idols as he, like other idol-makers in Assam's largest city, pray to the heavens to clear the weather so that they can complete their Durga idols in time. "I have been in this profession for 49 years now and never has it rained for so long before Durga Puja. We are really worried about how to complete the idols," Paul told PTI while giving the finishing touches to special decorative pieces of clay for the idols at his workshop. "We are using firewood, coal and even burners connected to LPG cylinders to dry the idols," he said, pointing to the sculpted idols being placed in groups around lit stoves with the smoke filling the entire workshop. Paul's son, Kanchan, who joined his family

Novotel Guwahati inducts EVs in its fleet to reduce carbon footprint

Luxury hotel chain Novotel on Thursday said it has introduced a range of electric vehicles in its fleet to reduce carbon footprint, the first such move by any hospitality group in Northeast. Announcing the development, the company in a statement said that it will double the fleet of electric vehicles at its Guwahati property in the coming months. "Marking first of its own kind initiative by any 5-star property in Northeast India, Novotel Guwahati recently introduced two electric cars, marking a significant step in their commitment to reducing carbon footprint and promoting eco-friendly transportation," it added. The move was a part of the company's ongoing sustainability initiative aimed at supporting both the environment and the local community, the release said. In the spirit of continuous improvement, Novotel plans to expand its EV fleet with two more electric vehicles in the near future, it added. Commenting on the development, Novotel Guwahati general manager Manmeet Singh sa

IIT partners with Airbus India to set up global training centre in Guwahati

The IIT-Guwahati entered into an agreement with Airbus India Private Ltd on Friday to set up a global training centre for aviation and logistics business here. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the collaboration will pave the way for Assam to emerge as a logistics hub in providing skilled personnel in aerospace technology. This is a milestone initiative to welcome Airbus India to our state. This agreement does not represent just a formal alliance, but a shared commitment to innovation and excellence to aerospace technology and development of logistics hub in Assam, he said at the MoU signing ceremony at IIT-Guwahati. The CM maintained that the project will address the current skill gap, and the collaboration is poised to elevate global competitiveness and the logistics sector in the northeast region. This is a significant step in creating a robust and dynamic workforce in our region, Sarma said, emphasising that the coming together of academic excellence of IIT-Guwahati and .