Guwahati: The Eastern Zone Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to the Centre, Assam government agencies and the Northeast Frontier Railway on a petition alleging unauthorized tree felling and environmental violations linked to the New Bongaigaon–Goalpara Town–Kamakhya railway track doubling project in and around Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary in Guwahati.
Approximately 100 to 200 mature, decades-old trees (including high-value species like teak) standing along the proposed alignment have been marked or already cut down.
The order was passed on May 29 by a Bench comprising Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and Ishwar Singh while hearing an application filed by environmental activist Durlav Talukdar.
The applicant was represented by advocate Vikram Rajkhowa, who appeared before the Tribunal through video conferencing.
In his petition, Talukdar sought directions to immediately halt all tree-felling activities connected with the railway doubling project within the wildlife sanctuary and its Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) until the required forest and wildlife clearances are obtained.
He also urged the Tribunal to ensure strict compliance with conditions imposed by the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) for the protection of the Asiatic elephant corridor linking the Rani and Garbhanga Reserve Forests with the Deepor Beel wetland.
The application further called for an assessment of the feasibility of transplanting trees instead of felling them and sought a declaration that the project’s environmental assessment process was legally flawed due to the alleged exclusion of large portions of the ESZ from scrutiny.
According to the petition, Deepor Beel, a Ramsar-designated wetland and notified wildlife sanctuary, serves as a critical elephant corridor and biodiversity hotspot.
The applicant alleged that despite NBWL conditions requiring minimal tree felling, around 200 trees had been marked for removal and nearly 100 mature, century-old trees had already been cut.
The petition also claimed that project proponents had sought forest and wildlife clearance for diversion of only 0.52 hectares of forest land within the sanctuary, although the total land requirement was stated to be 13.31 hectares.
Of the total area, 12.79 hectares falling within the default ESZ were allegedly not covered by supporting documents or proposals uploaded on the Parivesh portal.
After hearing submissions made on behalf of the applicant and examining the records, the Tribunal observed that the matter raised substantial environmental questions arising from the implementation of laws covered under Schedule I of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010.
“Prima facie the averments made in the application raise substantial questions relating to environment,” the Bench noted while directing issuance of notices to the respondents.
During the proceedings, counsel accepted notices on behalf of several respondents, including the Assam State Pollution Control Board and the Northeast Frontier Railway, while the Tribunal directed its Registry to issue notice to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
The NGT has granted the respondents two months to file their responses and listed the matter for further hearing on August 21, 2026.