Polling stations constructed in wildlife sanctuary: NGT seeks Assam govt’s reply

GUWAHATI: The National Green Tribunal has asked Assam’s Chief Secretary to provide details of officers who let polling stations, schools, and other construction activities in a wildlife sanctuary and a reserve forest in gross violation of the Forest Act, 1980. In an affidavit filed in April, the State government said several schools, a tea garden, a 5-km road, and wells were found to have been built in the Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary and the adjoining Charduar Reserve forest apart from polling stations under the Dhekiajuli, Rangapara, and Sootea Assembly constituencies. Seeking a response from the State government, the NGT said in its order: “The affidavit must also explain the inaction of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest under whose very nose such illegal activities were allowed to go on since 2017.” The order was passed on May 2 by the NGT’s judicial member, Justice B. Amit Sthalekar and expert member Arun Kumar Verma. Outlining the construction activities in its April affidavit, the Assam government said the local forest authorities registered a first information report against the management committees of the schools built inside the protected areas. Yadava, the former PCCF who is now the State’s Special Chief Secretary, had in 2022 approved the construction of an Assam police commando battalion camp within Geleky Reserve Forest in eastern Assam’s Sivasagar district.