Traders see slump as GNB Flyover work hits business; PWD says pain short-term

Guwahati, May 15: The city’s rampant construction activity—visible in nearly every corner of the city—has raised hopes among residents for a smarter skyline. Many are optimistic that the ongoing projects will help resolve long-standing issues such as urban flooding, streamline traffic flow, and transform Guwahati into a modern metropolis.

However, beneath the surface of this rapid development lie concerns that continue to quietly trouble citizens—some even affecting their livelihoods.

A case in point is the 5-km-long GNB Road flyover, stretching from Noonmati to Guwahati Club. The under-construction project has become a source of distress for local shopkeepers, many of whom report a sharp decline in income.

“There are no customers. We sit here all day waiting. Earlier, there was a steady flow of visitors—this being a watch shop, people often came in their vehicles. But now, due to a lack of proper parking space, customer footfall has dropped drastically,” said Sanjib Horo, a salesperson at a Chandmari store.

Citing debris, metal rods, and tools scattered along the stretch, many believe the drop in footfall is largely due to the unavailability of parking.

“Even if someone attempts to park, it only worsens the already congested traffic. Customers have stopped coming—the footpaths are in terrible shape, and the dust from the construction site is unbearable. I’ve had to hang plastic curtains to shield the merchandise from the dust,” said Dhanjit Barman, owner of GS Traders, a shop that sources bell metal items from Sarthebari.

This situation reveals a deeper crisis—it’s not just shop owners facing revenue loss; employees are being laid off as well. “I had to let go of my staff because of the losses. How can I pay them when I can barely afford a meal myself?” he added.

These issues, raised by affected shopkeepers, are common across nearly every establishment from Guwahati Club to Chandmari, and many fear the damage may be permanent.

“Once the flyover is ready, people will drive past from above—no one will stop to visit our shops,” said Narayan Medhi, owner of Electronic Plaza on Maniram Dewan Road.

Echoing Medhi’s concerns, Krishna Das, a pharmacist at Sanjivani Mediplus in Guwahati Club, said, “We’ve been dealing with losses for a while. The shop next door has shut down permanently. It's a difficult time for everyone here.”

Giving a silver-lining, PWD (Roads) Chief Engineer Sanjiv Shyam, told The Assam Tribune that though the fears of the shopkeepers along the stretch are justified, this will not be a permanent picture.

“I understand their woe and how much it must have affected them, but this is only for the time being. We got the same complaints from business owners when the Zoo Road flyover was being constructed, but now that it’s complete, they are happy; there are good provisions for parking spaces as well,” says Chief Engineer (Roads) Shyam.

Terming the ongoing construction work on the GNB Flyover nothing short of a “miracle”, the Chief Engineer further added that it’s not often that flyovers get constructed without closing the roads.

“It’s a miracle that a flyover is being constructed while the populace is still accessing the road, especially in a congested city like Guwahati, you won’t see that anywhere,” he justified.

Shyam informed that usually construction companies ask for the entire road to be closed off in such projects, but thankfully for GNB Flyover, that wasn’t the case. ”And we spent a lot of time looking for local contractors who understand that people need the roads for their daily movement,” he said.

The GNB Flyover is expected to be completed before monsoon next year, he said. “The project has taken this long only because the workers only get three-to-four hours a day to work, otherwise the roads are occupied most of the time,” he concludes.