Boundary demarcation of Deepor Beel: Gauhati HC seeks report from GMDA, PWD

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 31, 2024

The Gauhati High Court has sought clarification from the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and the state public works department (PWD) whether any earthfilling is going on in the Deepor Beel area and, if such earth filling is going on, whether necessary permission from the forest department has been obtained or not.

Hearing a PIL (18/2023) on July 29, a division bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice Suman Shyam said: “GMDA, as well as PWD, are directed to file affidavit specifying whether any earth filling is going on in the Deepor Beel area, and if such earth filling is going on, whether necessary permission from the respective department has been obtained or not.”

The PIL was filed by environmental activist Pramod Kalita and two others, raising various issues, including the boundary demarcation of the Deepor Beel Ramsar Site.

The state government submitted that the survey for the demarcation of high flood levels (HFL) in the six villages falling within the Deepor Beel area has been completed in respect of four villages, namely, Paschim Jalukbari, Dakhin Jalukbari, Tetalia, and Paschim Boragaon. However, such a survey in respect of two villages, namely, Maj Jalukbari and Uttar Jalukbari, could not be completed due to the inundation of some of the areas in the two villages.

It was also submitted that the survey in the remaining two villages would be completed within a week and the report would be finalised within 10–15 days.

The state government sought for some time to file an affidavit on this aspect.

The High Court also granted time to the state government to file an affidavit along with the survey report regarding high flood levels in the six villages falling within the Deepor Beel area by August 12, when it will hear the PIL.

Earlier on May 27, the court bench directed the revenue department to file an additional affidavit regarding the demarcation of the Deepor Beel Ramsar Site.

On April 4, the court stalled a decision taken by the Assam cabinet to denotify Deepor Beel located on the outskirts of Guwahati close to the Brahmaputra.

On March 10 this year, the state cabinet directed the forest department to conduct an inquiry as to why the notification in 2009 was issued without settling the rights of the traditional fishing people. The cabinet also decided to set aside the notification as it was done without the approval of the state cabinet.

The Ramsar convention has designated Deepor Beel a Ramsar site in 2002 to undertake conservation measures based on its biological and environmental importance for sustaining a range of aquatic life forms besides 219 species of birds. However, the state government has failed to demarcate the boundary of the Ramsar Site for the past 22 years.