SHILLONG, Aug 28: The state government’s move to construct parking lots and widen roads at Wards Lake and Ka Phan Nonglait Park (formerly Lady Hydari Park) has met with opposition.
Opposition parties fear it will go against existing natural environment.
Raising the matter in the Assembly during question hour on Wednesday, VPP’s North Shillong MLA Adelbert Nongrum expressed dismay that the government is ready to compromise with the existing natural environment and landscape of Shillong to tackle traffic congestion.
He admitted that the traffic problem has been a nightmare but said the solution to it does not lie in the destruction of natural landscape.
He questioned if the government is looking at an alternative to find a solution to the problem, especially around Police Bazar and Iewduh which fall under his constituency.
In his reply, Urban Affairs Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar said the government is ensuring that the environment does not suffer while it takes up any project. He said certain guidelines are placed by the Forest department when a project is taken up.
“Concerning traffic congestion, there is a committee headed by the chief secretary in line with other departments. We will not compromise with the environment. That is very clear,” Dhar said. He added that the government is exploring an alternative to widen some portions of the roads since addressing traffic congestion is crucial.
Citing the newly-constructed parking lot opposite to NEIGRIHMS, Dhar said they will follow the model where parking lot is constructed without cutting down a single tree.
Nongrum said the VPP is not against development but it wants the government to know that the rights of people have been taken away in the name of development.
He asked about the status of government’s proposal to build a flyover from the Deputy Commissioner’s office to Motphran.
“We all know the main cause of traffic congestion around Motphran. There is no free flow of vehicles through Them Iew Mawlong, also called Harijan Colony, and it is because barricades have been placed there for more than six years now. Why are they still there?” asked the VPP legislator.
Dhar said they had a meeting last month and they will soon take a call on the issue.
Joining the discussion, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said the government alone cannot clear the area since it is linked to law and order. He said he has directed the East Khasi Hills district administration and the SP to give their inputs on the situation.
“We would like to ensure that entry into that stretch is made open at the earliest,” assured Tynsong.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress’ (TMC) Nongthymmai legislator Charles Pyngrope emphasised that Phan Nonglait Park and Wards Lake are the lungs of the city. He said before initiating the project, the minister should consider taking the advice of the members.
The total area of Phan Nonglait Park is 8.5 acres. Wards Lake has two parts. The parking lot proposal covers 16.27 acres inside the area and 4.8 acres the outside area.
Amlarem MLA Lahkmen Rymbui suggested that since the government intends to set up a medical college at the Civil Hospital Shillong which is adjacent to Phan Nonglait Park, it can extend the hospital instead of building a parking lot.
Former Chief Minister and TMC leader Mukul Sangma said the proposal is disturbing. He said there are multiple reasons why the traffic system could not be regulated.
“We embarked on quite a number of initiatives. One was to have a parking bay, and designated embarkation and disembarkation points. If you go anywhere in the world, you will find them. It is only in Shillong that they are missing. It is only here that anyone stops anywhere,” Sangma said.
He recalled that a dedicated fund was released to Urban and PWD departments for implementing these parking bays. He said he was perturbed that the departments concerned end up making parking bays as parking lots.
Earlier, Dhar said the decision to proceed with road widening and creation of new parking spaces at Ward’s Lake and Phan Nonglait Park were taken after careful consideration of the growing needs of urban infrastructure to alleviate traffic congestion and improve accessibility for residents and visitors.
“The goal is to enhance public utility while safeguarding our natural heritage,” he said, informing that the redevelopment of Wards Lake project is still in the DPR stage.
The redevelopment of Phan Nonglait Park project is currently in the concept and design stage.
He also said that the government has conducted thorough studies to identify the key factors contributing to traffic congestion. These studies include the “Blueprint to Decongest Shillong”, designed by the Home (Police) Department in consultations with IIM, Shillong, and in line with the Comprehensive Mobility Plan 2024 by Urban Affairs Department.
These studies revealed gaps in tackling traffic congestion such as that the width of 80% roads in Shillong are less than 7.5m while on-street parking reduces road capacity by 30-40%. Similarly, there is a high vehicular growth rate of 17.5%.
