The great wetland grab

Guwahati allows construction on wetlands, but will not spare poor settlers on hills. A photo narrative by Sayantan Bera

Guwahati, the sprawling million plus city of north eastern India has grown at the cost of vital wetlands. While the rich legally bought the water-bodies, the poor ‘illegally’ encroached on them. With major storm water basins in the city disappearing, every monsoon, Guwahati reels under flashfloods. The June 22 police firing on poor settlers was but a flashpoint: the mess is visibly deeper.