Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court has issued a notice to the Assam government in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the de-notification of the Garbhanga Wildlife Sanctuary.
The high court while hearing the PIL on Monday, , the high court issued notices to Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF), Assam Environment and Forest department and Kamrup (M) District Commissioner.
The PIL, filed by political activist Subrat Talukdar, seeks to invalidate the Assam government’s decision to revoke the sanctuary status of Garbhanga. The court has granted the government three weeks to respond to the petition.
On July 14, 2024, Northeast Now reported that the State Environment and Forest Department cancelled the Preliminary Notification issued for Garbhanga Wildlife Sanctuary, without following the procedures mandated under the wildlife laws of the country.
In 2022, the Assam government had declared a 117 square kilometer area in Kamrup (Metro) district as the Garbhanga Wildlife Sanctuary. However, in a surprising move, the government reversed this decision in August 2023.
The petitioner’s counsel, Advocate Vikram Rajkhowa, argued that under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, once a preliminary notification is issued declaring an area as a wildlife sanctuary, it attains protected status.
“Any subsequent decision to de-notify or cancel this status requires the approval of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) and the Supreme Court,” Rajkhowa said.
The PIL alleges that the government’s decision to de-notify the sanctuary was made without public consultation and without adhering to the necessary legal procedures.
It further contends that the de-notification undermines conservation efforts and jeopardizes the biodiversity of the region.