Guwahati: The Institute of Hotel Management (IHM) in Assam’s Guwahati was demolished on Monday (July 21) as part of the ongoing government drive to free Silsako Beel from encroachments.
The eviction, carried out under the supervision of the district administration, is part of a broader initiative to clear the natural waterbody from various structures, both private and government, to mitigate flood problems in the state capital.
“This is a difficult yet necessary decision. While IHM has served the city in the education sector, the pressing need to safeguard Guwahati from devastating floods demands urgent action. We are acting for the greater good of the city’s future,” said Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah.
IHM, a central government institute spread over 15 bighas, has been temporarily relocated to a facility on GS Road.
Baruah added that a 30-bigha plot has been allotted for the institute in the Sonapur area, where new infrastructure will be constructed and handed over.
“We have allotted 30 bighas to IHM in Sonapur area. We will construct their infrastructure and hand it over to the institute,” he added.
He said that eviction and clearance work at IHM marks an important development in making the 800-bigha reservoir project at Silsakoo, envisioned to address the city’s chronic urban flooding.
“This is the largest single institutional demolition within the designated reservoir zone. We intend to complete the entire shifting and demolition process within 15 days,” Baruah said.
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Previously, the state government had evicted the Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Change and Development and the Institute of Cooperative Management from the Silsako Beel area.
“Two more structures—the tennis court and Ginger Hotel—still remain and will also be cleared, the minister confirmed. We are currently in discussions with their managements,” he said.
