Shillong, April 30: The Meghalaya government has informed the High Court that no waterbodies in the state meet the criteria to be designated as Ramsar sites under the internationally recognised Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
This was revealed in a report submitted by the Chief Conservator of Forests (Administration), Department of Forests and Environment, during a hearing on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). The PIL was initiated in compliance with a Supreme Court order dated December 11, 2024, which directed all states to conduct “ground truthing” of wetlands and identify potential Ramsar sites.
The Supreme Court’s directive aimed to facilitate the identification, preservation, and maintenance of ecologically significant waterbodies across India in accordance with the Ramsar Convention.
The Meghalaya report was compiled following a comprehensive ground truthing exercise undertaken by the Meghalaya State Wetland Authority in collaboration with the Forest Department. The inspection covered all categories of wetlands, including 66 lakes and ponds, 1 oxbow/cut-off meander, 6 riverine wetlands, 18 waterlogged areas, 100 rivers and streams, 9 reservoirs and barrages, and 25 tanks and ponds.
“Ground truthing of these wetlands has been completed. It is opined in the report by the Chief Conservator of Forests that none of the wetlands qualify as Ramsar sites,” the report stated.
Accepting the findings, a division bench comprising Chief Justice I.P. Mukerji and Justice W. Diengdoh took the report on record during a hearing held on April 29.
“The writ petition [Writ Petition (C) No. 304 of 2018], in which the order was passed by the Supreme Court on December 11, 2024, is still pending. Although there is no direction to this effect, we direct the Registrar General of this Court to affirm an affidavit in the said writ petition before the Supreme Court on behalf of the State of Meghalaya and this Court,” the bench stated.
The Court directed that the affidavit should detail the steps taken in compliance with the Supreme Court’s order and include all related reports and court directives.
The High Court also instructed that the affidavit be filed only after obtaining appropriate leave from the apex court.
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