Assam: Hyper-Development of Guwahati Raises Concerns for Marginalised Working Class

Guwahati: Historically recognised as the cultural centre and the hub of politics in the region, and celebrated as the beating powerhouse and heart of the Northeast, Guwahati is today accelerating towards a rapid urban transformation that has sparked both admiration and a sharp screeching alarm.

Skyrocketing infrastructure projects, sporadic growth in high-rises, and relentless commercial expansion are reshaping the city at a pace never observed before. But as the skyline compliments the zenith of development, the voices of the working and marginalised classes are increasingly reaching their abyss!

Over the past decade, Guwahati has stood witness to an overwhelming and unprecedented wave of development. The rapid construction of flyovers, satellite townships, luxury apartments, and multi-lane corridors has undoubtedly positioned the city as one of India’s fastest-growing urban centers. Yet, behind the glitter of this “hyper-development” lies a disturbing reality: the craftsmen and the labourers (not essentially ‘miyas / Bangladeshis’), who built the city, are increasingly feeling both neglected and excluded from its benefits.

If the plight of the common man is to be gauged, daily-wage workers, migrant labourers, and low-income group residents are increasingly finding it difficult to survive in the city despite their best hardships.

According to Bipul Saha, a daily Rapido rider from the city’s Lachit Nagar area, “Growth has only pushed them further into vulnerability.”

“The rising rents, shrinking affordable housing, and the demolition of informal settlements have left thousands struggling to find stable shelter. Many are being displaced from areas that are now being earmarked for commercial redevelopment,” Saha added.

“We work on the sites where towers are rising every day, but we can’t afford a single room in the city we help build,” said Rafiq Ali, a construction worker from Barpeta who has worked in Guwahati for eight years.

“Development is definitely happening, but not for us; it is for the privileged and the rich,” adds Ratul Bania, a resident of Morigaon and a driver by profession, currently residing in Guwahati for the last 5 years.”

With more and more land diverted toward high-value real estate and premium commercial projects, public spaces and welfare infrastructure for the working population are steadily shrinking. Basic amenities such as clean drinking water, drainage, and waste management remain inadequate in labour-intensive pockets of the city, even as newer commercial zones boast world-class facilities.

Environmentalists echo similar concerns. Rapid construction without long-term planning has led to unregulated hill-cutting, encroachment on wetlands, and frequent flash floods, which are issues that disproportionately impact the economically weaker sections.

“No city can thrive if its development sidelines the people who sustain its daily functioning,” noted urban studies researcher Dr. Pranami Medhi. “Hyper-development without social inclusion creates an illusion of progress.”

As Guwahati continues its march toward modernity, the debate now intensifies: Who is the city really being built for? While policymakers celebrate the pace of development, the working class, like the drivers, cleaners, masons, vendors, domestic help, and daily labourers, struggle to find their place in the city’s new identity.

For many, the aspiration is simple: a city where growth does not come at the cost of dignity.

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