Abstract
Environmental degradation has become inseparable from the way cities grow. Urban development can improve mobility, employment and access to services, but it also changes land use, drainage, air quality and local climate. Guwahati and the wider Kamrup Metropolitan District offer a sharp example of the need to align economic expansion with ecological limits.
Globalisation and technological change have altered where people work, how firms organise production and where cities expand. In Kamrup, those forces are visible in rapid construction and a widening metropolitan footprint. This article examines the region's growth pattern and the environmental costs that accompany it.
Introduction
Environment and development are closely related and cannot be separated. They are often seen as two parts of the same process. Though industrial growth and economic progress have caused pollution in the air, water, and soil, the essential elements that support life. This pollution is the high price people pay for economic progress. It is important to understand that while development improves living standards, it also brings environmental challenges that affect our health and the world around us, showing the need for sustainable methods that balance growth with environmental protection. In developed countries, environmental problems generally come from industrial growth and new technologies.
In contrast, poorer countries face environmental challenges because they lack proper development. However, many poorer countries believe that poverty itself is a primary cause of pollution and environmental damage, not just industrialisation or economic growth. The United Nations predicts that by 2050, urban areas will cover 60% of the world's rural populations. The shift from farming villages to industrial cities has significantly altered the landscape. Normal land is being replaced by expanding cities, which makes the problem of urban straggle spread worse.
This speedy city growth often leads to cutting down trees and green spaces, covering land with concrete, and causing environmental problems like increased pollution and higher temperatures in cities. This shows how expanding urban areas can significantly affect the natural environment around us. These intended changes to the land significantly affect the environment and disturb the natural cycles of the Earth's temperature. Urbanisation, often connected with the process of modernisation, introduces a range of challenges, including uncontrolled expansion and the reduction of natural resources, which are particularly prominent in the context of development.
Verma's study looks at how Northeast India has changed since independence, highlighting how political unrest, military presence, and governance issues have shaped the region's growth. He explains how attention in research and policy has gradually shifted toward urbanization and migration from rural to urban areas, driven by government programs like the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation and the Smart Cities Mission. The study also explores the effect of India's Act East policy, which seeks to boost cross-border trade by developing border towns such as Dawki, Champhai, Moreh, and Pangsau marking a major change in regional development strategies.
However, these urban growth efforts have often been met with resistance from local communities. The study of Pattnaik highlights Assam's key role in India's regional connectivity plans, focusing on proposed routes like the Guwahati-Chittagong and Guwahati-Kunming corridors. The Guwahati-Kunming Corridor stretches about 2,276 km, starting from Guwahati in Assam, passing through Nampong in Arunachal Pradesh, and moving across areas in Myanmar such as Shindbwiyang, Bhamo, and Myitkyina, before reaching Kunming in China via the Ledo- Burma road junction. These routes are expected to strengthen regional cooperation through initiatives like BCIM, ASEAN, SAARC, and the Greater Mekong Subregion program. 6
Right to Development
The right to development was first declared in 1986 by the United Nations General Assembly through its resolution 41/128. This right is also mentioned in the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and the Arab Charter on Human Rights. Over the years, it has been repeated many times in important international documents, such as the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, the 1993 Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, the Millennium Declaration, the 2002 Monterrey Consensus, the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document, and the 2007 Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The 1986 Declaration on the Right to Development established development as an inalienable human right, marking an important change in how development and human rights are understood together. It emphasized that development should respect human rights and that those rights cannot be fully achieved without development because adequate resources are necessary. The Declaration also stated that international cooperation is essential for realizing the right to development. However, the actual cooperation depends largely on the political will of developed countries since there is no legal obligation in international law to cooperate.
This has allowed developed countries to choose when and how to provide development assistance, rather than being required to do so. "The human right to development also indicates the full realization of the right of peoples to self-determination, which includes, subject to the applicable provisions of both International Covenants on Human Rights, the exercise of their absolute right to full sovereignty over all their natural wealth and resources." 9 States have the primary responsibility for the creation of nation and international policies with a view to facilitating the full realisation of the right to development. 10
Indian Constitution and Environment Conservation
The Constitution of India is the utmost law in the country, guiding how the nation should function. It is based on moral ideals and principles that are vital for the overall progress of the nation. The Constitution covers many aspects of life in India, from fundamental legal principles to goals related to sustainable development. The Constitution defines fundamental rights, which are essential for ensuring a decent and dignified life for every person in society. The Constitution of India emphases on promoting the overall well-being of individuals, from ensuring equality to protecting the environment.
In response to the growing global concern for the environment during the 1970s, the Indian government introduced the 42nd Constitutional Amendment in 1976. This amendment added Article 48A to the Directive Principles of State Policy, which calls on the state to protect and improve the environment. It also placed a similar responsibility on citizens through Article 51(A)(g), making environmental protection a fundamental duty. Together, Articles 48A and 51(A)(g) highlight India's commitment to safeguarding the environment. "Article 48 A- Protection and improvement of environment and safeguarding of forests and wild life.
The State shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wild life of the country. Article 51A(g) - To protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wild life, and to have compassion for living creatures." 11 The amendments also brought changes to the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution by moving Forest and Wildlife from the State List to the Concurrent List. This move shows that Indian lawmakers wanted to make environmental protection a national priority. In many environmental cases, judges have referred to Article 48A and interpreted it as a duty of the government and even the judiciary to safeguard the environment.
"In M. K. Ranjitsinh v Union of India, ruled that the Constitution confers the right against the adverse effects of climate change. This right, the bench held, flows from Articles 48A (a Directive Principle of State Policy which states that the State should endeavour to protect and improve the environment), 51A(g) (a fundamental duty on citizens to protect and improve the natural environment), 21 and 14". In M. C. Mehta vs Union of India (Oleum Gas Leak) case the judgment became a landmark judgement in environmental law in India. For the first time, a company 'Shriram Food and Fertilizers Limited' was held legally responsible for environmental damage and ordered to pay compensation.
The verdict, given just before the Environment Protection Act of 1986, set an example for future laws. Instead of shutting down the company, the Supreme Court imposed severer safety measures to prevent accidents like the Oleum gas leak while allowing industries to operate responsibly. The Court balanced environmental protection, industrial responsibility, and economic growth. It also suggested creating Environmental Courts and expert groups to handle ecological issues, stressing that sustainable development is essential for a healthy and progressive society.
In Virender Gaur v. Union of India, The Supreme Court explained that the right to life under Article 21 also includes the right to live in a clean and healthy environment. It emphasized that living with human dignity is impossible without a pollution-free environment, clean air and water, and proper sanitation. Therefore, protecting and preserving the environment and maintaining ecological balance are essential parts of the right to life. Any activity or agreement that causes pollution or harms the environment is a violation of Article 21. In Vellore Citizens Welfare Forum vs.
Union of India, the court ordered the Union government to set up an expert authority under Section 3(3) of the Environment Protection Act, 1986, to manage issues related to tanneries and other polluting industries in Tamil Nadu. The authority was given full powers and instructed to follow the precautionary and polluter pays principles. The court held that environmental damage caused by the respondents violated Article 21 of the Constitution, recognizing the right to a clean environment as part of the right to life. It also directed the creation of common or individual pollution treatment facilities and required industries to obtain approval before operating.
Those failing to set up effluent treatment plants were to be shut down. The case emphasised environmental protection, water pollution control, and sustainable development, reinforcing the polluter pays principle as a key tool for justice. 15
Environmental Laws in India
In addition to the Constitution of India, there are specific laws that focus only on protecting the environment. India's environmental laws create a broad system aimed at protecting the Schedule I and Part II of Schedule provide absolute protection, offences under these are prescribed the highest penalties.
b)
Species listed in Schedule III and Schedule IV are also protected, but the penalties are much lower.
c)
Animals under Schedule V, e. g. common crows, fruit bats, rats, and mice, are legally considered vermin and may be hunted freely.
d)
The specified endemic plants in Schedule VI are prohibited from cultivation and planting. 16
2. Environment Protection Act, 1986 (EPA, 1986) "The Environment Protection Act of 1986 serves as a broad law that covers many aspects of environmental protection. Various rules and notifications have been created under it to address different environmental issues. Its major objectives include:
Formation of competent authorities with adequate powers for environmental protection Coordination among different regulatory agencies.
Regulation governing the release of environmental pollutants and the management of hazardous substances Quick action during environmental emergencies and strict penalties for violations." 17
The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 addresses historical injustice by recognising the land and resource rights of forest-dwelling communities. Its implementation is central to any development policy that affects forests around Guwahati and Kamrup.
To empower and strengthen the local self-governance To address the livelihood security of the people, leading to poverty alleviation and pro-poor growth To address the issues of conservation and management of natural resources and conservation governance in India." 18
Urbanisation and Development in Kamrup
Guwahati is the principal urban centre of Kamrup, but the district remains a mixture of urban and rural landscapes. That relationship matters because metropolitan growth often consumes forests, wetlands and farmland beyond the municipal core. Studies recording a substantial rise in built-up area between 1990 and 2020 confirm the speed of this transformation.
This unplanned growth has often led to encroachment on natural areas, loss of forests, and damage local ecosystems. Urbanisation is a gift to the human society if it is controlled, coordinated and planned. However, unplanned urbanization is a curse. Urbanisation is happening more rapidly in developing countries, but it often takes place in an unplanned and unsystematic way, leading to various problems. The land in the zone between rural and urban areas are very important, yet planning and policies for this region are often unclear, particularly regarding whether it should fall under rural or urban administration.
As a result, these areas are usually overlooked in urban studies since they do not fully fit into either the urban or rural category. Urban planning, development, and management in Guwahati, the capital of Assam, are becoming increasingly important because of the rapid growth in the city's population and the rising urban challenges that come with it. The city of Guwahati is the gateway to Northeast India and located in an undulating plain with varying altitudes ranging 49.5m to 55.5m above According to the 2011 Census of India, the population of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation area rushed from 43,615 in 1951 to 962,334 in 2011, driving substantial urban development.
Rapid urban growth has altered land use, reduced green cover and intensified local climate and public-health risks. In Guwahati, tree felling and construction have too often proceeded without a coherent ecological plan. Development that erodes drainage, hills and mature tree cover merely transfers its costs to residents through floods, heat and pollution.
A few months back some trees near the Rabindra Bhawan area on the GNB Road were chopped, ostensibly for facilitating the construction of a flyover, triggering a mass protest. In recent years, the fast construction of flyovers and road expansions in Guwahati, Assam, has been seen as progress. However, this development has caused serious harm to the environment because it involves cutting down many trees. Locals and activists have raised concerns that large-scale tree felling for these projects damages the city's green spaces, affects air quality, increases pollution, and harms biodiversity. Many trees marked for removal are old and have historical and ecological importance.
The construction also causes dust pollution, affecting residents' health. People are demanding the government consider alternatives that allow construction without cutting down important trees, emphasizing the need for better planning and environmental protection alongside development goals. The capital city, where temperatures have been rising gradually, has lost thousands of trees, many of them large, old, and home to diverse wildlife such as birds, reptiles, and insects, over the past two years to make way for development projects.
Several massive, decades-old roadside trees in areas like Kachari, Panbazar, and Jawahar Nagar have been cut down in the name of development, often viewed as unnecessary or poorly planned. According to Reports, more than 7,000 trees have been felled in Guwahati to make way for the expansion of National Highway 37 and the building of new flyovers. The large-scale cutting of trees has taken place as part of several ongoing projects across the city, including flyover construction, water supply developments, and city beautification works. Infrastructure projects in Guwahati are leading to widespread tree cutting.
At Gauhati University in Jalukbari, at least 31 trees are expected to be removed, and several have already been felled. In the Rupnagar area, where the new Kamrup (M) Deputy Commissioner's office is planned, another 31 trees, some over 20 years old, were cut down. Around the same period, ten more trees were removed from the Satgaon Army Cantonment area. Recent months have also seen an estimated 1,000 trees chopped down on private properties across Guwahati, with the real number possibly higher due to unreported cases. In the Panikhaiti area of Guwahati, 40 trees were uprooted to make way for a new flyover project.
Similarly, along the banks of the Brahmaputra River, 21 trees were cut down for an Inland Water Transport project. These actions highlight the significant environmental impact that infrastructure development is having on the city's green spaces and natural surroundings. Residents and activists have raised concerns about the loss of these trees, emphasizing the need to balance development with environmental conservation. Deepor Beel has suffered the most from unchecked development. Illegal settlements, waste dumping, and unplanned garbage disposal have severely damaged the wetland, shrinking both its size and quality.
Once spread over more than 40 square kilometres, the lake has now been reduced to less than half of what it used to be. "Dr. Anamika Goswami, an environmental scientist from Guwahati, warns that uncontrolled urban growth has put Deepor Beel in serious environmental danger. She cautions that if action is not taken soon, the city could lose not only this wetland but also a whole ecosystem that supports many species and benefits Guwahati in vital ways." 28 As Deepor Beel continues to deteriorate, the vital functions it once served are disappearing. Guwahati, already prone to flash floods, is becoming more at risk.
Places near the beel that used to stay dry during heavy rain now experience flooding for several days.
With the wetland shrinking, the city has lost one of its strongest natural defenses against disasters.
Experts and activists are calling for urgent measures that go beyond laws to include civic efforts and policy reforms. They argue that Guwahati's urban growth should be guided by environmental evaluations and sustainability goals rather than by profit-driven motives. The rising number of trees being cut has caused serious concern among Guwahati residents, sparking protests against the loss of the city's greenery. People agree that development is necessary, but they stress the importance of balancing growth with protecting the environment.
Locals and environmental activists in Guwahati are deeply concerned about the planned cutting of trees around Dighalipukhuri, an area known for its historic pond and lush greenery. They fear that losing this green cover will harm the local ecosystem and reduce the city's biodiversity. The trees not only provide shade and clean air but also serve as habitats for various birds, including rare migratory species. Many of the trees, some said to be over 200 years old, hold cultural and ecological significance, forming an integral part of the city's heritage and urban environment. Protesters are urging the government to look for ways to promote development without harming the environment.
They believe officials should find building techniques that do not require cutting down trees, especially those that hold historical significance. A recent RTI inquiry showed that 21 trees would be affected by the project, deepening public concern. In response, residents plan to file a Public Interest Litigation to stop the tree cutting, arguing that the flyover project began without proper environmental reviews or community input. They believe this lack of transparency and planning reflects poor decision-making by the authorities. 30
Conclusion
The connection between development, urbanisation, and environmental protection in Kamrup, especially Guwahati, is a big and urgent problem. The city's fast growth has changed how land is used, often harming important natural areas like forests and wetlands. Over the last decades, many forests and wetlands have been lost, which are crucial for keeping nature balanced and recharging groundwater. This loss has caused more carbon emissions, leading to higher temperatures and shifting weather patterns. Unplanned urban expansion without proper environmental controls has also caused flooding, pollution, and loss of wildlife.
Environmental assessments and city planning focused on sustainability have often been weak or ignored due to economic priorities. This has upset many people, leading to protests and legal actions, demanding more transparency and protection for nature, along with stronger community involvement in planning. Ignoring the environment risks harming both natural ecosystems and public health in Kamrup. In short, Kamrup shows the urgent need for sustainable urban development that respects environmental limits. The future health of Kamrup depends on cooperation among government, activists, communities and experts to promote growth that protects nature and meets people's needs.
A balanced development model can protect ecological health and distribute urban benefits more fairly across generations. Evidence from Kamrup already links rapid construction with the loss of forests and wetlands, higher temperatures, pollution and greater flood risk. The choice is not between development and the environment, but between planned growth and avoidable damage.
Primary materials
Key primary materials: Environment (Protection) Act, 1986; National Green Tribunal.