The Gauhati High Court has directed the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the National Board for Wild Life (NBWL) to file an affidavit confirming whether all prerequisites for commencing the Guwahati Ring Road Project have been fulfilled.
Court's Directive
Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury instructed advocate Girin Pegu, representing the ministry and NBWL, to explain in the affidavit why the prerequisites remain unmet, if that is the case, and specify the timeline for compliance.
Public Interest Litigation
The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Arkasish Chaliha and Mahesh Deka. The petitioners alleged that the mandatory forest clearance required under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 for tree felling has not been granted by the central government. They described the project execution as hasty and warned that proceeding without proper scrutiny would cause irreversible damage to the environment.
In response, Additional Advocate General P.N. Goswami submitted to the court that no trees would be felled at this stage. The court has scheduled the next hearing for May 19.
Project Background
During the initial hearing last month, the court noted that the petitioners do not oppose the Guwahati Ring Road project in principle. The project is a massive 121-kilometer highway encircling Guwahati, with an estimated cost of approximately Rs 6,000 crore, to be executed by the National Highways Authority of India.
The petitioners highlighted that a concession agreement was signed in April 2025 for the project's implementation. The work includes constructing a long bypass road, widening existing roads, and building a bridge over the Brahmaputra River.
Environmental Concerns
While acknowledging the necessity of the ring road for traffic management, the petitioners argued that the proposed bypass route cuts through the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary and its surrounding eco-sensitive zone. The court observed: "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 emphasized the need to balance infrastructure development with environmental conservation. The next hearing will further examine whether all legal and environmental prerequisites have been satisfied before the project proceeds.
