Shillong: The Meghalaya High Court has directed the state government to identify waterbodies or wetlands or Ramsar sites in the state and submit a report within six weeks.
In an order on a PIL, the high court asked the Meghalaya State Wetland Authority and the Department of Forests and Environment to launch the identification drive as per a Supreme Court order.
Based on a writ petition, the Supreme Court in 2001 expressed concern over the identification, maintenance and preservation of Ramsar sites in all states and passed necessary orders.
Later, on December 11, 2024, based on another writ petition, the apex court referred to an affidavit of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and requested the High Courts, including the High Court of Meghalaya, to treat this affidavit as a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) “to ensure that the Ramsar Convention sites within their jurisdiction are properly maintained.”
“If Ramsar sites are identified they may be forthwith notified,” said the order issue by the bench comprising Chief Justice IP Mukerji and Justice W Diengdoh.
“On 12th March, 2025, we took note of the letter of the Member Secretary, Meghalaya State Wetland Authority dated 14th February, 2025 informing the Registrar General of this Court on the latter’s query, that there was no notified Ramsar site in the State,” the court said in its order.
“We directed the Registrar General to serve copies of the papers on the State, learned Advocate General, learned Deputy Solicitor General of India, Member Secretary, Meghalaya State Wetland Authority and the Chief Conservator of Forests (Administration), Department of Forests and Environment, Government of Meghalaya to seek confirmation of the above assertion,” the court said.
In his submission, government counsel NG Shylla admitted that entire body of wetlands or waterbodies may not have been inspected by the state.
“On the basis of the existing inspection which may not be complete, the Member Secretary has issued the note on 24th February 2025. She says that the State be given an opportunity of making a thorough identification of waterbodies or wetlands or Ramsar sites in the State, which may have escaped inspection and identification,” the court said.
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The government counsel asked for six weeks’ time to complete the exercise, which was granted by the court.
The next hearing for the PIL is set for April 29, 2025.
