After 20 years, Assam government declares Deopahar as reserve forest
Naresh Mitra | TNN | Feb 3, 2019, 04:59 IST
Picture for representational purpose onlyGUWAHATI: After 20 years, the state government has finally notified the 133.45-hectare area of Deopahar in Golaghat district as reserve forest. Deopahar was at the centre of a legal battle over Numaligarh Refinery Limited’s (NRL) boundary wall and proposed township.
The notification came after the Supreme Court, on January 18, dismissed NRL’s petition in the apex court against National Green Tribunal (NGT)’s 2016 order to demolish the boundary wall that came up on the then proposed reserved forest, blocking the movement of elephants.
The government’s notification of January 19, which was made public recently, said in the exercise of powers conferred by Section 17 of the Assam Forest Regulation 1891, the governor is pleased to declare Deopahar as a reserve forest. The issue was pending since 1999.
Environment activist and petitioner of the case in the NGT, Rohit Choudhury, said the declaration of reserve forest has at last given legal recognition to Deopahar. “After two decades of waiting, the government declared Deopahar as a reserve forest following NGT and Supreme Court’s intervention in the case related to NRL’s boundary wall. This is a victory for conservation,” added Choudhury.
In 2016, the NGT had ordered demolition of the wall that came up in the area in 2011 as it is part of Deopahar and also falls in the “no development zone” issued by the Union ministry of environment and forest in 1996. The 2016 order also said that NRL’s proposed township also falls in Deopahar. NGT had given one month’s time for demolition of the wall and ordered that the proposed township should not come up in the present location. Last year, dismissing NRL’s review application of 2016 order, the NGT said, “In view of categorical findings already recorded by the tribunal that the area where the wall came up and the area where the proposed township is to come up is part of the Deopahar Reserve Forest, rehearing on merits is not permissible.”
In January 18 this year, the Supreme Court also dismissed NRL’s review petition.
The notification came after the Supreme Court, on January 18, dismissed NRL’s petition in the apex court against National Green Tribunal (NGT)’s 2016 order to demolish the boundary wall that came up on the then proposed reserved forest, blocking the movement of elephants.
The government’s notification of January 19, which was made public recently, said in the exercise of powers conferred by Section 17 of the Assam Forest Regulation 1891, the governor is pleased to declare Deopahar as a reserve forest. The issue was pending since 1999.
Environment activist and petitioner of the case in the NGT, Rohit Choudhury, said the declaration of reserve forest has at last given legal recognition to Deopahar. “After two decades of waiting, the government declared Deopahar as a reserve forest following NGT and Supreme Court’s intervention in the case related to NRL’s boundary wall. This is a victory for conservation,” added Choudhury.
In 2016, the NGT had ordered demolition of the wall that came up in the area in 2011 as it is part of Deopahar and also falls in the “no development zone” issued by the Union ministry of environment and forest in 1996. The 2016 order also said that NRL’s proposed township also falls in Deopahar. NGT had given one month’s time for demolition of the wall and ordered that the proposed township should not come up in the present location. Last year, dismissing NRL’s review application of 2016 order, the NGT said, “In view of categorical findings already recorded by the tribunal that the area where the wall came up and the area where the proposed township is to come up is part of the Deopahar Reserve Forest, rehearing on merits is not permissible.”
In January 18 this year, the Supreme Court also dismissed NRL’s review petition.
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