Itanagar: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has registered a suo motu case regarding unauthorized road construction in the ecologically sensitive Ganga to Taipu and Ganga to Tago catchment areas of Arunachal Pradesh‘s Papum Pare district.
The NGT’s action comes after a news report in a local daily highlighted the issue.
The tribunal has directed the respondents to file their responses via affidavit at least one week before the next hearing. This case has been transferred to the eastern zonal bench in Kolkata, with the next hearing scheduled for July 21.
Local communities, who have long demanded action to protect their environment and water sources from further degradation, are now hopeful following the NGT’s intervention..
As per the news report, the unchecked earth-cutting and road-building activities have caused significant environmental damage, including contamination of natural water sources and deforestation.
Even after numerous complaints to the Range Forest Officer (RFO) and a formal appeal to Arunachal Pradesh Governor on April 14, these violations have gone unchecked.
The Village Forest Committee reported that heavy machinery continues to operate in the Tago area, flouting forest regulations.
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The tribunal noted that these activities raise serious concerns about compliance with the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, the Environment Protection Act, 1986, and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
