Gauhati HC to take up contempt petition over delay in notifying Deepor Beel ESZ

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMarch 26, 2024

The Gauhati High Court will take up a contempt petition on the notification of the Eco Sensitive Zone (ESZ) of Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary in the city on Wednesday.

The petition was filed by environmental activist Pramod Kalita and two others in PIL/18/2023 seeking the court’s intervention in the non-notification of the Eco-Sensitive Zone of Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary (4.1 sq km).  

A division bench of the High Court comprising Justice L Jamir and Justice Suman Shyam issued an order on December 7, 2023, directing that the state government notify the ESZ by January 18, 2024, failing which it has to submit an affidavit explaining the delay and the steps taken to notify the ESZ. Aggrieved by the state government’s inaction on this count, the petitioners have now filed a contempt petition.  

Sources said the state government in response to the contempt petition, has filed an affidavit stating their intention to denotify the Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary.  

In the affidavit, the state government termed their 2002 notification of the Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary as irregular, as the procedure such as settling the fishermen’s rights etc., was not followed before notifying the WLS in question.

Earlier this month, a similar plea by the state government in respect of the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary was rejected by the Supreme Court on March 11.

On March 10, the state cabinet decided to denotify Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary.

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