Guwahati: A fresh move by the Assam government to lease out a new stone mining site inside the Sonaikuchi Reserve Forest has triggered controversy, with environmental activists and legal observers warning that the step could clash with an ongoing case before the Supreme Court of India over alleged illegal quarrying in the same area.
The Assam Forest Department, through the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Nagaon Division, issued a Notice Inviting Tender (NIT) in a local English daily on November 16, 2025, for the Jagiroad Stone Mining Area No. F(6).247, located in the Sonaikuchi Reserve Forest under the Western Range of Dharamtul.
The tender aims to shortlist bidders for the award of a 30-year minor mineral mining lease, framed under the “Circular Economy Based Zero Waste” (CEBZBW) model.
The move has raised eyebrows because the issue of alleged illegal stone quarrying in the reserve forest is already under judicial scrutiny. Petitions filed by environmental activist Dilip Nath are pending before the Supreme Court, challenging large-scale mining activities in the Jagiroad stone quarry belt.
The petition alleges that quarry operators continued extraction even after the expiry of their leases in 2018 and expanded operations far beyond the permitted one-hectare area, with claims that mining had spread to nearly 30 hectares. The filings also point to alleged violations of forest boundaries and the absence of proper forest clearances.
The Supreme Court, which is currently hearing the matter, had earlier stayed illegal mining activities in the reserve forest and directed state authorities to investigate the alleged violations. With the case still pending and no final judgment delivered, activists argue that initiating a new lease process within the same forest area could potentially violate the spirit of the court’s directions.
Legal observers have also pointed to the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, which requires prior approval from the Union government before any diversion of forest land for non-forest activities such as mining.
Adding to the controversy are recent proposals placed before the Forest Advisory Committee earlier this year seeking “in-principle” approval for the diversion of additional forest land in the Jagiroad mining area, including proposals involving about 21 hectares and 62 hectares linked to the F(6) block. Petitioners have questioned the timing of these proposals while the Supreme Court proceedings remain unresolved.
The issue has also reached the National Green Tribunal (NGT), whose Eastern Zone Bench has received challenges related to the very same NIT for the F(6) site in Sonaikuchi Reserve Forest.
Another point of contention is the duration of the proposed lease. The Assam Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 2013 generally allow mining leases for periods ranging between 10 and 20 years, with the possibility of extension under specific conditions. The 30-year lease proposed in the tender has therefore drawn criticism from activists, who argue that it departs from established regulatory norms.
Officials familiar with the process said the groundwork for the tender was laid when the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority, Assam approved an amended District Survey Report for Morigaon district on September 22, 2025. The report identified potential areas for minor mineral extraction under the Environmental Impact Assessment framework.
However, documents from the meeting show that no project-specific environmental clearance was granted at that stage for the Jagiroad F(6) mining block within the reserve forest. Environmental clearances for such projects typically require a separate appraisal and approval process.
The controversy has deepened further with allegations from sources that the tender process may have been designed to favour a particular bidder, identified as businessman CS Gandhi, son of RS Gandhi.
Sources have also claimed that retired IFS officer MK Yadava, Special Chief Secretary of the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department, has been instrumental in pushing the proposal forward despite warnings from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and past directions issued by the National Green Tribunal.
No official response was available from the department regarding the allegations or the status of the tender process.
Environmental groups say that if the government proceeds with awarding the lease while the matter remains under judicial consideration, the decision could face fresh legal challenges and potentially be struck down by the courts.