Guwahati, Feb 4: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has expressed serious concern over the failure of the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and the Assam government to submit affidavits addressing the alleged encroachment of three crucial reserve forests in the state.

The Charduar Reserve Forest, Balipara Reserve Forest, and Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary, has been under investigation for over a year due to encroachment.

Both the MoEF&CC and the Chief Secretary of Assam have not complied with the NGT’s orders despite being directed to file report in August 2024.

Following an application by RTI activist Dilip Nath, the bench of High Court comprising Justice B. Amit Sthalekar and Dr. Arun Kumar Verma made these observations on January 23.

The extent of the encroachment is staggering, with approximately 220 km of reserve forest land allegedly being taken over by over 1,000 people.

Nath has been raising concerns about illegal land grants in Assam’s reserve forests, accusing the government of neglecting its duty to safeguard these critical ecosystems.

“At around 1,115 individuals were illegally granted land rights within protected reserve areas. At a time when the government should be prioritising forest protection, these encroachments are undermining conservation efforts,” Nath said.

Nath approached the NGT in 2023 after failing to secure justice from the state authorities.

Read: PM Modi to attend Advantage Assam 2.0 as Chief Guest on Feb 25

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