GUWAHATI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought a response from the central government regarding the large-scale encroachment in Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary, located in Assam’s Sonitpur district, asking it to detail the steps taken to address this issue and prevent further encroachment.
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Based on a petition filed by an environment activist and journalist Dilip Nath, the Eastern Zone Bench of NGT comprising Judicial Member Justice B Amit Sthalekar and Expert Member Dr Arun Kumar Verma asked the Ministry of Environment and Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to reply to the statement of Assam Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) and Head of Forest Force (HoFF) RP Singh on the encroachment status in Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary.
The NGT bench heard the case on August 21 in the presence of the petitioner Dilip Nath in person in virtual mode.
In his affidavit before the Tribunal on July 15, the PCCF stated that about 50,241.00 ha of forest land in the reserve forest/protected areas is under encroachment out of the total area of 73,524.86 ha.
The PCCF stated that about 3,00,000 people have encroached in the area in question and have cleared lowland evergreen and semi-evergreen forest areas making permanent houses, occupying large areas of the forest and cultivating commercial crops such as betel nut trees, coconut, rubber and tea alongside crops. It is also stated that about 23,028 claims have been filed under the Forest Rights Act 2006 in Charduar Reserve Forest, Balipara Reserve Forest and Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary.
The PCCF further stated that there are 68 SSA schools, more than 40 polling stations, PWD roads, and tea estates in the wildlife sanctuary.
“We, therefore, direct the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to file its affidavit in reply to the affidavit of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) on July 15 about the stand of the MoEF&CC in such a case of large scale encroachment which has been permitted over the years and decades,” the NGT Bench stated in the order.
In its affidavit before the NGT, the MoEFCC stated that no proposal seeking forest clearance for non-forestry activities within the Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary was found.
The ministry stated that prior approval of the central government under Section 2 (1) (ii) of Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980 is required for carrying out any non-forestry activity on forest land.
The ministry also stated that the land is a subject of the state government and the forest areas and the legal boundaries thereof are determined and maintained by the state government concerned.
“The MoEF&CC shall file its affidavit to show what action has been taken by the MoEF&CC in this regard,” the NGT said.
The NGT bench also asked the Assam chief secretary to re-file his affidavit, which is stated to be defective, within four weeks.
The case will be heard on November 7.
