Forest encroachment: Gauhati HC seeks ‘action report’ from Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal

Guwahati: Gauhati high court has directed the govts of Mizoram, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh to file affidavits detailing the measures they have taken to remove encroachments in the reserve forest land situated along their inter-state borders with Assam.
The division bench of chief justice Vijay Bishnoi and justice Suman Shyam granted six weeks for the submission of these affidavits.The bench was hearing a PIL filed by Asom Basaok, raising concerns about encroachments in the reserve forest land areas in Assam bordering the mentioned states.
Considering that most encroachments have been made in the reserve forest areas of Assam bordering Mizoram, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh, the court directed the neighbouring states to file their responses on July 26 last year.
The court observed that efforts were made by Assam, in coordination with the secretaries concerned of Mizoram, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh, to resolve the issue of illegal encroachments, irrespective of the boundary disputes with these states.
Although affidavits have been filed by Mizoram, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh, the court stated that these affidavits did not provide any suggestions to make the reserve forest land in the inter-state border areas encroachment-free. Assam’s advocate general D Saikia submitted to the court that earlier efforts by the Assam govt to remove encroachments in the Inner Line Reserve Forest area on the inter-state border of Assam and Mizoram, had been resisted by people from Mizoram.
“Having taken into consideration the facts and circumstances of the case, we deem it appropriate to direct the counsel representing Mizoram, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh to file their respective affidavits mentioning the measures carried out by these states to remove the illegal encroachments in the reserve forest land situated in the inter-state border of these states with Assam,” the HC stated.