The Aizawl bench of the Gauhati High Court on Wednesday ordered the Mizoram government to temporarily stop felling trees at Lammual in Aizawl, a site recently vacated by the Assam Rifles, issuing an interim restraint while a public interest litigation is heard. The division bench of Justices Michael Zothankhuma and Kaushik Goswami took note of reports that roughly 174 of about 400 trees at the site had been cut as part of proposed development work and observed that several of the trees are believed to be more than 100 years old.
The bench highlighted the historical significance of Lammual, pointing out that structures within the former barracks date back to 1897 and have been designated heritage buildings. The court asked the state government to explain the rationale for removing century-old trees from a central urban location and to justify the proposed changes to the site.
Following submissions by Additional Advocate General P. Bhattacharyya for the state and advocate T. J. Mahanta for the petitioner, the court restrained further tree felling until further orders. The matter is listed for the next hearing on 18 May 2026.
The PIL was filed by environmental activist Siazampuii Sailo on behalf of the Centre for Environment and Social Justice, which sought the court’s intervention to protect the trees and heritage structures. The order comes amid government plans to begin infrastructure work on the vacated land.
Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation Minister K. Sapdanga has said the projects under consideration include widening the busy stretch between Treasury Square and Bazar Bungkawn to ease traffic congestion. The state has proposed developing parts of the site into a public space while retaining selected heritage structures such as the Quarter Guard and Loch House, and demolishing other non-heritage buildings as part of the redevelopment.
A committee chaired by Chief Minister Lalduhoma, with representatives from political parties, civil society groups and churches, has been formed to oversee use of the land. The court’s interim order now puts a temporary hold on on-ground work affecting trees at Lammual until the government provides a detailed explanation and the case is further considered.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/mizoram/story/gauhati-high-courts-aizawl-bench-halts-tree-felling-at-lammual-site-1379516-2026-04-22?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-04-22 12:16:00
