Guwahati city sitting on time bomb of deluge: HC seeks Dispur’s response

 Staff Reporter

Guwahati: It has been pointed out in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed before the Gauhati High Court that Guwahati city is sitting on a ‘time bomb’ of a rainfall-induced disaster due to illegal cutting of hills and unabated encroachments.

In a PIL case (PIL/14/2024) filed by the North East Eco Development Society, the petitioner has raised concern in respect of encroachments and the cutting of hills that lead to artificial floods and landslides.

It is contended that, on account of illegal cutting of hills and unabated encroachments, the city of Guwahati is virtually sitting on a time bomb in case incessant rainfall occurs for a few days.

The city is prone to flash floods and water logging whenever there is heavy and continuous rainfall. Particularly, areas like Anil Nagar, Nabin Nagar, Panjabari, Hatigaon, etc. have long been suffering from artificial flooding after a sharp spell of rainfall. New areas are being inundated every year in the rainy season as hills are cut unscientifically across the city and encroachments in and around water bodies continue unabated. Although the state government, with the help of the Kamrup (Metro) district administration, carries out evictions on a regular basis, the encroachments continue, and this has become the bane of the city that prides itself on being the ‘Gateway to the Northeast’ and the state’s capital city.

In the instant PIL, after hearing the parties, the bench of Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice Suman Shyam issued notices to the respondents, returnable in six weeks. K.P. Pathak, the standing counsel of the Forest Department, accepted the notice along with R. Borpujari, the standing counsel for the Revenue and Disaster Management Department.

Moreover, it was stated that, as all the respondents were duly represented, no formal notices needed to be issued to them. However, the bench directed that a copy of the writ petition be supplied to the counsels representing the respective respondents. The counsels for the respondents were also asked to file their response by the next date of listing, which was fixed for a day after six weeks.

The bench agreed to accord more time to the Forest Department to inform the HC about the approval and implementation of the plan in the remaining divisions and listed the matter for hearing after six weeks.

Also Read: 19.9% of forest land in Assam under encroachment (sentinelassam.com)

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