GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court takes cognizance of the Assam government on Public Interest Litigation questioning de-notifying the Garbhanga Wildlife Sanctuary.
On the PIL, the Gauhati High Court today issued notices to MoEF, Assam Environment and Forest Department, and Kamrup (M) District Commissioner.
A PIL has been filed against the Assam government to nullify the move it took to remove the sanctuary tag from Garbhanga.
The court has asked the government to file a reply in three weeks.
Reportedly, on July 14, 2024, Northeast Now said that the State Environment and Forest Department of Assam canceled the Preliminary Notification for Garbhanga Wildlife Sanctuary without making an application to Section 4 of the wildlife law.
This particular 117 square kilometers region was recently declared by the Assam government to form part of the Garbhanga Wildlife Sanctuary, although situated in Kamrup (Metro) district. That's surprising because, quite shockingly, in the year 2023 of August, the government was backpedaling from their recent decision.
Advocate Vikram Rajkhowa, counsel for the petitioner, while arguing that once preliminary notification is issued declaring an area to be a wildlife sanctuary under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, it attains protected status, pointed out that this status can only be revoked by the NBWL and the Supreme Court.
As contended by PIL, the decision of de-notification by the government on this sanctuary was not in consultation with the people, without due legal processes followed. This move, in itself, is said to dilute the conservation activities in the area and the very efforts towards biodiversity here.
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