GUWAHATI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has served a notice to the Assam forest department over alleged, unauthorised diversion of 44 hectares of forest land for the construction of a Commando Battalion headquarters in Barak Valley.
The move comes a week after the apex green body had summoned Assam’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) & Head of Forest Force (HoFF), MK Yadava, in connection with the case on January 17.
The NGT had taken a sou motu cognizance of the case following a complaint lodged by an environmental activist with the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC), accusing the Assam government of unlawfully diverting protected forest land.
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The complainant specifically points to Yadava, for allegedly bypassing mandatory procedures of the 1980 Act. It is claimed that he “misinterpreted” the law, justifying the forest diversion as “ancillary to forest conservation”.
NGT chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivatava and expert member Dr A Senthil Vel have included key officials in the notice, including as the Inspector General of MoEF&CC, among others.
The affected area falls within the Inner Line Reserved Forest, a sanctuary established in 1877 spanning 110,000 hectares in Hailakandi district of Barak Valley.
Known for its green cover and endangered species, the forest also plays a crucial role as a habitat for elephants, tigers, and various bird species.
Earlier, in a similar case in 2019, the NGT had ruled against the Haryana government for establishing a police training centre on forest land.
The Delhi High Court had also rebuked the forest department for constructing a train track in a protected forest.
