Guwahati: The Arunachal Pradesh government constructed its Civil Secretariat and State Legislative Assembly within the notified boundaries of the Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary (IWS) without securing mandatory environmental clearances, official records accessed through the Right to Information (RTI) Act have revealed.
According to a report by Hindustan Times, environmental advocate and activist S. Loda filed the RTI request, seeking details related to the legal status, biodiversity, construction, and ecological impacts within IWS since 1978.
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In response, the Deputy Chief Wildlife Warden’s office in Naharlagun confirmed that authorities did not grant clearances under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, for either the Civil Secretariat or the Assembly complex.
The department further stated that from 1980 to the present, it has not issued a single environmental clearance for any construction within the sanctuary limits. This period includes major infrastructure expansion across the Itanagar Capital Region. Despite being notified on February 20, 1978, with a legal area covering around 140.8 square kilometres, the sanctuary remains intact under the Wildlife Protection Act, according to certified documents included with the RTI reply.
Maps attached to the response indicate that significant parts of Itanagar’s urban sprawl, including the Assembly, Secretariat, Indira Gandhi Park, and areas surrounding Ganga Lake (Gekar Sinyik), lie inside the sanctuary.
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When asked about the legality of establishing the Itanagar Municipal Corporation and the 13th ST Assembly Constituency within the sanctuary limits, the Wildlife Department’s reply was clear: “Not legal.”
Officials admitted that they hold no records of forest land diversion or Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports for infrastructure projects built inside IWS. They also confirmed that the department has neither conducted scientific studies nor raised formal objections regarding these constructions. No records exist of compensatory afforestation or efforts to study ecological damage.
The department acknowledged that it has not assessed the impact on key environmental indicators such as habitat loss, fragmentation of wildlife corridors, migration route disruption, or water source degradation. Hydrological impacts, including altered drainage and waterhole contamination, remain undocumented.
Once home to rich biodiversity, including Indian elephants, clouded leopards, wild dogs, slow loris, and over 50 species of birds and reptiles, the sanctuary has seen a sharp decline in wildlife sightings due to growing human encroachment. A list of threatened species submitted in the annexure shows many of them are now rarely seen.
According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023, Arunachal Pradesh retains 78.67% of its land under forest cover. However, the report also notes that the state lost about 549 sq. km of forest between 2021 and 2023.
A senior forest officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Secretariat, Assembly, and several other government buildings stand within the sanctuary boundaries. He noted that the sanctuary was notified in 1978 when only four villages existed, and authorities had not allocated a separate area for a capital city. The rapid infrastructure growth began post-statehood in 1987.
The official clarified that the Forest Department merely acts as custodian of the land and lacks the authority to notify or de-notify protected areas. He added that the government held several high-level meetings to address the issue and that the Land Management Department now serves as the user agency. He stated the need for the state to file an interlocutory application in the Supreme Court to seek land use rationalization.
“Even a status quo order could give the state time to devise a long-term solution,” he said.
Loda, the RTI petitioner, criticized the government for years of inaction and contradictory statements that have only fueled encroachment. “I plan to move the National Green Tribunal or the Supreme Court soon. The destruction must stop,” he said.
“Eviction is no longer a realistic option because the government itself has become an encroacher. Let the courts intervene, I still believe parts of the sanctuary can be saved,” he added.
An official from the Chief Minister’s Office confirmed that the government is preparing to file an interlocutory application addressing not just Itanagar, but similar concerns across the state. “Chief Minister Pema Khandu’s administration is committed to correcting these historical lapses,” the official said.
Despite multiple attempts, Hindustan Times could not reach the state’s Forest Minister or the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests for comment.