Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday, 26 September 2026, approved the Guwahati Underground Cabling Project, a ₹177 crore initiative to shift overhead electrical and communication wires underground across key city corridors. The project, covering approximately 18 km across five identified corridors, is expected to dramatically transform the streetscape of Assam's largest urban centre.

What the Project Covers

The initiative will replace the tangle of overhead cable networks — spanning electricity lines and communication wires — with underground infrastructure along the five designated corridors. The selected stretches are among Guwahati's busiest, where sagging and crisscrossing wires have long detracted from the city's visual environment. Once complete, the underground shift is expected to streamline utility management across these corridors while eliminating the hazards and visual clutter associated with above-ground networks.

What the Chief Minister Said

Sarma shared details of the approval on social media platform X, framing the project as a quality-of-life upgrade for residents. 'Your sky pictures deserve the most aesthetic views,' he posted, underscoring the aesthetic objective behind the infrastructure push. He added that 'saggy, entangled wires will soon be a part of history,' presenting the project as a step towards a modern, better-organised Guwahati. The government has described the initiative as part of broader efforts to modernise urban infrastructure.

Why This Matters for Guwahati

Guwahati, the gateway city to the Northeast and Assam's largest commercial hub, has experienced rapid urban expansion in recent years. Rising population density and growing commercial activity have placed mounting pressure on roads, utilities, and civic infrastructure. The underground cabling project directly addresses one of the city's most visible infrastructure pain points — the dense web of overhead wires that dominate arterial roads and public spaces. Notably, similar underground cabling drives in cities like Bengaluru and Pune have demonstrated measurable improvements in urban aesthetics and power reliability.

Implementation and Next Steps

With approval now in place, the project is expected to move towards the tendering and implementation phase. The government has not yet specified a completion timeline, though officials indicated the initiative would proceed in phases across the five corridors. Civic planners and urban development experts have broadly welcomed the move, though execution pace and disruption management during construction will be closely watched by residents and businesses along the affected stretches.