The morning rush in Guwahati presents two contrasting images. On one hand, the city is transforming with new flyovers, bridges, wider roads, and modern public infrastructure. On the other, everyday scenes tell a different story – drivers jumping traffic signals, motorcycles using footpaths as shortcuts, vehicles travelling on the wrong side, and buses stopping almost anywhere except the designated bus stops. Sometimes, it feels as if the traffic rules are treated as suggestions rather than laws.
The problem extends far beyond traffic. Fresh stains of paan and gutkha appear on newly inaugurated bridges, garbage is casually thrown onto roads, drains, and even the Brahmaputra River, while plastic waste blocks drainage channels and contributes to Guwahati’s recurring artificial floods.
Illegal parking, encroached footpaths, and construction debris make daily commuting more difficult. At night, reports of public drinking and other irresponsible activities in busy areas raise concerns about safety and respect for shared spaces.
Many of these are often called civic problems, but they begin with a lack of civic sense – the everyday responsibility citizens owe to one another. Weak enforcement, inadequate public infrastructure, and poor urban planning certainly play a role, but no amount of infrastructure can compensate for careless public behaviour. A perfectly clean street can become dirty in seconds if people choose convenience over responsibility.
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Building a better city does not always require billion-rupee projects. It begins with small habits – following traffic rules, respecting pedestrian spaces, using public dustbins, protecting public property, and giving way to ambulances. Even helping an accident victim instead of recording the incident on a mobile phone reflects true civic responsibility.
Guwahati is growing rapidly and has the potential to become one of India’s finest urban centres. However, development is measured not only by the number of bridges we build, but also by how responsibly we use them. A city becomes truly smart when its citizens value public spaces as much as they value their own homes.
The author is a Guwahati-based mechanical engineer currently pursuing an MA in Mass Communication and Journalism through Tezpur University (CDOE). Views expressed are that of the author and do not reflect EastMojo’s stance on this or any other issue.
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