The Guwahati High Court has concluded hearing a public interest litigation filed against the proposed Guwahati Ring Road project. The Assam government and NHRA have made it clear to the court that no trees will be felled for the project without completing a comprehensive wildlife impact study. A division bench of Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and Justice Arun Deb Chowdhury disposed of the petition. The petition was filed by social activist Arkashish Chaliha and Mahesh Deka, executive editor of Northeast Now.
The 121 km Guwahati Ring Road project will cost around Rs 5,729 crore. However, there were serious concerns about the project’s adverse impact on Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary, forests and elephant movement corridors. The court had earlier directed the NHRA and the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to submit detailed affidavits on whether the necessary departmental permissions had been obtained. A proper survey report on habitat impact on elephants and wildlife was asked to be submitted through expert agencies like the Wildlife Institute of India.
The counsel for the petitioners alleged that the conditions to which the Standing Committee of the National Wildlife Board was bound before obtaining permission from the Forest Department were not duly observed. The Wildlife Institute of India had earlier recommended that the road be taken along its boundary instead of the sanctuary and that special fencing be put in place to prevent elephants from entering human areas. However, according to the petitioner, the wildlife protection plan was prepared by the project implementing agency itself instead of an independent expert agency, which is in violation of the rules. The court was accused of giving final forest clearance to the project without even completing the emergency study.
During the hearing, the state government’s Additional Advocate General PN Goswami assured the court that the tenders called for felling trees in the sanctuary area were only for enlisting contractors to do the work and not to start any urgent work. He made it clear that no trees will be cut without completing wildlife studies and all safety regulations will be followed, including stopping construction at night. The government said the Wildlife Institute of India has already received all the project documents and will complete the impact assessment study within 90 days of the release of funds. NHRA also agreed to release the necessary funds for the study without delay. Based on this commitment of the government and the highway authority, the High Court expressed hope that the development work to protect the environment would be completed quickly by ending the public interest litigation.