GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court took a significant step on Friday by issuing a stay order to halt the Assam government's decision to denotify Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary, the state's only Ramsar site. This move came after the Assam cabinet's decision on March 10 to withdraw the notification issued by the State Forest Department, which effectively removed Deepor Beel's protected status. The decision faced legal challenges through an interlocutory application filed in the ongoing PIL "Pramod Kalita and two others Vs Union of India and 17 others."
A bench of the Gauhati High court, led by Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice Suman Shyam, issued the stay order, temporarily suspending the denotification process.
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Earlier On Wednesday, the Assam government informed the Gauhati High Court that despite the state cabinet's decision to denotify the Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary, no formal notification has been issued yet. However, the state's advocate general, D Saikia, requested two days to respond to the matter, and extension for was granted by the court.
This move was followed by an Interlocutory Application filed in the public interest litigation (PIL) by Pramod Kalita and others, raising concerns about the protection of Deepor Beel, including issues related to illegal construction and waste management.
In December 2023, the Court instructed the state government to declare Deepor Beel a wildlife sanctuary with an eco-sensitive zone by January 18, 2024. Initially, the state assured the court that a draft notification was being prepared and would be submitted for cabinet approval within two weeks, followed by central government’s approval. However, the subsequent move to denotify the sanctuary contradicted these assurances.
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This development comes shortly after the Supreme Court intervened in March 2024 to halt the Assam government's attempt to denotify the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, a critical habitat for one of the largest rhino populations in India.
Talking to GPlus, Pramod Kalita, an ornithologist, highlighted the urgency of safeguarding Deepor Beel, stressing, "We want Deepor Beel to remain free from pollution. It's not just a wildlife sanctuary; it's a complete ecosystem. It's crucial for both the public and the Assam Government to preserve it because it represents the future of our ecosystem here."
The Court intervened with the decision of the State and regarded it as unjustified and further asked the Deputy Commissioner Kamrup (M) to provide the status on demarcation of the Deepor Beel eco sensitive zone.
The instant PIL was moved by Advocate Debajit Kumar Das, and assisted by Advocates Mrinmoy Khatamiar and Harish Betala.
