Reply to plea on lack of forest clearance for Amchang tree felling, HC tells state

Guwahati: The Gauhati high court has directed the Assam govt to respond to a petition alleging that the forest department floated an e-tender to select a contractor for felling trees in Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary for the Guwahati Ring Road project without obtaining mandatory forest clearance from the central govt.

Petitioners Arkasish Chaliha and Mahesh Deka alleged that mandatory clearance under the Forest (Conservation Act), 1980 for felling trees has not been granted by the central govt. They termed the move post-haste and said allowing it to proceed would cause irreparable damage before proper scrutiny by the competent authority.

Appearing for the state, additional Advocate General PN Goswami submitted before the bench of Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury that “all clearances, including under the Act of 1980 have been obtained.”

Pending the filing of a detailed affidavit, Goswami also told the court that till the next date, “the tender in question shall not be finalized.”

The court noted that the petitioners, in principle, do not question the Guwahati Ring Road project, described as a 121-km highway project around Guwahati with an estimated cost of around Rs 6,000 crore, to be constructed by the National Highways Authority of India.

The petitioners pointed out that a concession agreement was signed in April 2025 for undertaking and completing the project, which includes a long bypass requiring widening of existing roads and construction of a bridge over the Brahmaputra.

While not disputing the need for traffic management, the petitioners alleged that the proposed bypass alignment cuts through Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary and the surrounding eco-sensitive zone.

“While the necessity of construction of the ring-road cannot be denied, at the same time, the importance of preserving the sanctuary can be assessed from the fact that the area is home to elephants, gibbons, leopards, pangolin and other animals. The area also covers other forests and the elephant corridor in the vicinity,” the court stated.

The matter has been listed for hearing on April 23, with the court directing the state govt to file an affidavit responding to the petition.
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