The Gauhati High Court has given these directives to four states in northeast India, i.e., Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram, to form a high-level committee to solve and remove the encroachment of forests on their interstate borders. The order was given after hearing two petitions one, filed in 2018 by Guwahati-based NGO Asom Basaok and another filed in 2023 by two locals of the Sreebhumi district, both were seeking the eviction of illegal occupants in the forestlands of Assam.
A bench that consisted of Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury directed the states to have a joint sitting of their chief secretaries, heads of forest department and other interested stakeholders take place. This is meant to come up and carry out a coordinated and well-thought plan to ensure the encroached forested areas have no illegal settlements.
This order has been in tandem with the recent campaigns being undertaken by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Assam government that has been carrying out mass eviction of illegal settlements on government and forest lands. A major exercise was undertaken lately in Uriamghat, close to Assam-Nagaland border to clean 1,500 hectare of forest land allegedly encroached upon by more than 2,500 illegal constructions.
The Gauhati High Court in its observations had put that that already inter-state meetings had been conducted that would form consensus on the issue. The court showed hope that nothing can stay unresolved after a productive dialogue that should go on between the states.
Interestingly, throughout the negotiations no one of the four states questioned the need due to their current border disputes and issues and the deliberate attempt to address them on encroachments. Today, Assam borders Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh and negotiations are in progress to remove tensions on the boundaries independently. The ruling of the court is regarded as an action towards environmental protection and strategic governing in the area.
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