Guwahati: An Ahom-era landmark of Guwahati, Jorpukhuri (twin ponds) located beside the historic Ugratara Devalaya here has finally been renovated into a modern-day park, and opened for tourists ahead of Magh Bihu on Friday.
The Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority renovated the project under the AMRUT Mission, involving an outlay of Rs 3.23 crore.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated the much-awaited renovation project. He asked the Kamrup Metro district administration concerned to ensure that the tranquil residential area of the city, one of the few that still brings back memories of Guwahati of the yesteryear, does not turn into a noisy, commercial place.
“Ahom king Swargadeo Siva Singha had dug the twin ponds (Jorpukhuri) to ensure no water crisis for the upkeep of the historic Ugratara temple. The Guwahati development department had taken measures to beautify, renovate and develop the ponds, and today we have been able to open the park to visitors,” Sarma said at the inauguration programme.
“The renovated project will surely make the ponds more attractive and woo tourists. But at the same time, I expect the district authorities to ensure the biodiversity of the ponds is maintained and that the area does not turn into a commercial place which might disturb the peace and tranquillity in the residential area,” the chief minister said.
Notably, the twin tanks — Jorpukhuri East and Jorpukhuri West — are separated by the Naojan Road, which used to be a stream on which boats of the Ahom army used to ply.
History has it that Ahom queen Rani Phuleswari had come all the way from Sivasagar on a boat to offer puja at the Ugratara temple on the bank of the western tank.
The tanks are under the jurisdiction of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation. The GMDA looks after the development of the eastern tank while the Ugratara temple management committee maintains the other.
The ponds, separated only by the narrow Naojan Road, have now been cleaned. The administration has also taken steps to preserve the fish in the ponds.
Area residents are elated by the project and the chief minister’s assurance to ensure that the tranquil ambience of the locality is not compromised.
“Some years back, one of the ponds was literally converted into a dumping ground by the filth that a drain in the locality had deposited for a long. The ponds were full of algae/hyacinth because of prolonged neglect and public abuse. But as an octogenarian and a resident of Jorpukhuri, I am so happy to see the ponds in their best form,” Dhirendra Kumar Bora, a senior citizen, told East Mojo.
The Latasil Jorpukhuri Anchalik Unnayan Committee, formed in 2006, had earlier carried out development work in and around the twin tanks, including cleaning algae and hyacinth every year. But such cleaning had often come to a nought because of the drain.
Later, the chief minister also visited the Fancy Bazar Botanical Garden site and reviewed the progress of the work.
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“I hope the first phase of the botanical garden will be ready in another six months. I have asked GMDA officials to take care of ancillary facilities and make the place attractive and unique,” he said.
“As part of our initiative to transform Guwahati into a smart city, we have embarked on the Brahmaputra Riverfront Development Project. I have inspected the Panbazar construction site, which is part of the project, and reviewed the progress. I have emphasised its timely completion of quality work,” Sarma said.
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