GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court has asked the Assam Government for information on whether a comprehensive plan is being worked out by the State for protection of the Ahom dynasty monuments, including the illegal coal mines being operated in different places under Digboi Forest Division.
A suo moto PIL was being heard by the court, which was filed on the basis of a letter written by Senior Advocate late Nilay Dutta dated April 5, 2018, which is regarding the illegal mining activities being conducted in various locations under Digboi Forest Division.
Counsel appearing on behalf of the Gauhati High Court, Advocate H.K. Das, in his submission stated that during the process of illegal mining activities being done in the area, the monuments dating back to the Ahom dynasty are also being destroyed or encroached upon by persons with vested intent.
The HC division bench, comprising of Chief Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice Suman Shyam, forwarded the observation that prima facie it appeared that illegal encroachment or destruction of the state’s Heritage sites of the Ahom era, including those of the founder of Ahom kingdom Chaolung Sukapha, "is going on unabated due to the absence of any protective steps taken by the State Government.”
In another PIL, the Court has directed the state authorities to make sure that all illegal mining activities are stopped forthwith in the Saleki Proposed Reserve Forest under Digboi division area.
The matter will be up for hearing again after four weeks, it was informed.
Delivering judgment on a PIL filed in April, the Gauhati High Court directed both the Central and the Assam governments to ensure that no illegal mining activities take place in a forest area under Digboi division in Upper Assam.
A division bench of the Chief Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice Suman Shyam, issued the direction after a hearing on the batch of PILs which highlighted the disappearing forest cover in the Saleki Proposed Reserve Forest and the illegal mining activities particularly attributed to Coal India Ltd, being carried out.
D.K. Das, counsel on behalf of the petitioner, had submitted before the court that the ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEF & CC), vide its letter written to the deputy conservator of forests, Assam, dated November 17, 2020, observed that mining operations by Coal India Ltd has been continuing, even after the original lease period had expired. The bench directed that there should be restraint from doing any mining operations in violation of the provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, till all penalties and compensatory levis are deposited and approval for the Stage II of the project is granted by MoEF & CC.
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