GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court, hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) granted four weeks to the “respondents” to place on record their response to the issues of great importance about the preservation of the Deepor Beel.
The court asked the authorities to submit a status report of the projects being undertaken pursuant to the earlier directions given by the Court as well as the National Green Tribunal, which should be placed on record by the next date of hearing which is April 27.
The petition filed by Pramod Kalita, General Secretary of Deepor Beel Suraksha Mancha and others raised the issue that the Ramsar site requires protection and requested the court to direct the respondent authorities to implement the order passed by Gauhati High Court on December 22, 2022.
The Division Bench of the Gauhati High Court headed by Chief Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice Suman Shyam felt that the protection and conservation of Deepor Beel are of great importance for all and the Beel being a Ramsar site, status report of the same was called for monitoring by the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court in terms of Supreme Court’s direction passed in MK Balakrishnan-vs- Union of India.
The matter was moved by Debajit Kumar Das, Advocate, Gauhati High Court along with Mrinmoy Khatamiar and Harish Betala, Advocates for petitioners.
The matter was moved in the presence of all respondent advocates including the Advocate General of Assam Debajit Saikia, who assured better conservation of the Ramsar site and implementation of the order passed by the Gauhati High Court in suo moto PIL filed in 2017.
The respondents include various departments of the Assam government including Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) and the forest department, also the Ministry of Railways.
The petitioner Pramod Kalita talking to G Plus said that the orders passed by Gauhati High Court previously are not being followed by the respondents and Deepor Beel is being polluted by the GMC's new dumping site.
“The railway tracks crossing Deepor Beel also is hampering the ecology as the elephants coming from Rani Reserve forest and other forests are affected by the train movement,” said Kalita.
The Court had directed the Assam government to see that the solid waste management plant under construction shall be fully commissioned latest by July 1, 2023, in the new dumping site, said Kalita adding that with the pace of work ongoing in the new dumping site, it is “impossible”.
He explained that because of the GMC’s “unscientific” garbage dumping process in Boragaon and Belor Tal, the Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary is majorly affected and the various species of fish, migratory birds, reptiles and even animals are getting decreased in the area.
