Nov. 5: Around 300 families residing in Fatasil Ambari today threatened to organise an agitation unless the Kamrup (metro) administration thwarted the alleged move by some builders to fill up a historical pond in the area. The promoters are planning to construct multi-storied buildings on that plot.

Residents of the area alleged that despite reminders and memoranda to deputy commissioner Avinash Joshi, West Guwahati MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita and councillor of ward no 12 Prabhat Das, no step has been taken yet to save the six-and-half bigha pond at Fatasil Gauri Sharma Colony.

“The pond serves as a source of water for residents of Bishnupur, Athgaon, Shantipur, Kumarpara, Ambari and Chabipool in West Guwahati constituency. It also acts as a natural reservoir during the monsoons and stores water from the adjacent Goshalla Hill,” said Fatasil G.S. Colony Nagarik Unnayan Samiti president Jayanta Dowerah.

He added that residents also use the pond for religious and other social ceremonies.

Dowerah alleged that some miscreants recently started filling up the pond with red soil. He said the residents have learnt from different sources that some builders were encroaching on the pond to construct multi-storied buildings.

“We had submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner on September 1, demanding immediate action to protect the waterbody. We also submitted memoranda to MLA Kalita and councillor Das reiterating the same demand. But no initiative has been taken so far,” Dowerah said.

The organisation also suspects that a section of officials in the district administration is providing tacit support to the builders in their bid to encroach upon the pond.

General secretary of the organisation, Amarendra Adhikari, said the residents would launch an agitation if the administration did not take preventive measures soon.

He added that the residents would also move court to save the pond. On Friday, the residents had staged a demonstration in front of the pond.

“If anyone comes to fill up the pond, he will have to face stiff resistance from us,” warned one of the agitators.

Dowerah said the pond was once almost as important as Dighalipukhuri. “Any old resident of the city will remember the pond at Fatasil Gauri Sharma Colony. People from different parts of the city used to come for fishing at this tank,” he said.