Guwahati: A damning set of documents obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act has uncovered the widespread and unchecked destruction of the Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary (IWLS), revealing that what was once a protected ecological zone now exists largely in name only.
Environmental activist and legal advocate SD Loda, who filed the RTI request, discovered that vast portions of the sanctuary, originally notified on July 14, 1978, have been illegally encroached upon over the decades.
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The records show that the sanctuary’s boundaries have seen continuous construction activity, despite the absence of legal clearance or environmental permissions.
Shockingly, the Environment, Forest & Climate Change Department lacks critical records, including data on compensatory afforestation efforts or the number of hectares of primary forest lost. This administrative void has raised alarms over the deteriorating state of water resources within the sanctuary.
However, officials have failed to assess the extent of damage to these vital water sources. They have also not conducted any comprehensive survey to map the major water systems within the Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary.
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Among the most concerning revelations is the illegal establishment of key urban and political structures within the sanctuary. RTI documents show that authorities developed both the Itanagar Municipal Corporation and the state Assembly constituency inside the sanctuary without obtaining legal approval. They also constructed the state’s civil secretariat and legislative assembly buildings, key centers of governance, without securing the required clearances, even though these structures fall well within the sanctuary’s officially designated boundaries.
Since 1980, authorities have not granted a single formal approval for construction within the IWLS, yet large-scale developments have continued without pause.
The RTI files confirm that authorities did not conduct any environmental impact assessments for these projects and failed to initiate compensatory plantations. To make matters worse, the Wildlife Department did not record any objections or comments, with entries marked as “not available,” highlighting a serious lapse in oversight by the agencies responsible for protecting the sanctuary.
Loda described the situation as a “collapse of environmental governance,” warning that what was once envisioned as a sanctuary for wildlife has instead become a symbol of ecological neglect. He pointed to wildlife census data from recent years, including elephant census reports from 2017, 2022, and 2023, which show a steep decline in elephant populations. The most recent data indicates near-zero sightings of elephants—an alarming trend for a region once known for its biodiversity.
“The sanctuary was established to protect threatened species, but instead it has suffered from years of systematic neglect and exploitation,” Loda stated. “This is not just an environmental issue, it’s a governance crisis. We need immediate intervention from the highest levels of government to halt the destruction and hold those responsible accountable.”
Covering approximately 140.8 square kilometers, the Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary was once a biodiverse refuge for over 50 species, many of which were already classified as threatened due to human activities. Today, the sanctuary stands as a stark reminder of what happens when conservation takes a back seat to unchecked urban expansion.