NGT Mandates Urgent Probe: Joint Committee to Investigate Threatening Industrial Activities Near Beloved Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary
NGT Orders Probe into Industrial Threats to Assam’s Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary
Guwahati: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has made a crucial decision to safeguard the delicate ecosystem of Assam’s Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary by establishing a joint committee to examine claims of industrial encroachment and environmental damage in the surrounding area.
On August 27, 2024, the NGT issued the order after receiving a complaint from local residents concerning the establishment of brick kilns, cement factories, and stone quarries within the proposed eco-sensitive zone of the sanctuary. The tribunal registered a suo-motu case based on a letter from Utpal Saikia and others, which alleged that industrialist Dilip Chetry was attempting to set up such operations in the protected area.
Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, home to a rich array of biodiversity including one-horned rhinos, Indian buffaloes, deer, wild boars, pangolins, and various migratory birds, faces serious threats if such industrial activities proceed.
The NGT has mandated the creation of a committee that includes representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Assam State Pollution Control Board, Central Pollution Control Board, and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF), Wildlife, Assam. This committee has been tasked with visiting the site and submitting a factual report within one month. The Central Pollution Control Board has been designated as the Nodal Agency for coordinating and ensuring compliance with this order.
The next hearing on this matter is scheduled for October 4, 2024. The outcome of this investigation will play a pivotal role in the ongoing efforts to protect one of Assam’s key wildlife sanctuaries from industrial encroachment and environmental degradation.
Original Story https://nenow.in/north-east-news/assam/assam-ngt-orders-joint-committee-to-probe-industrial-activities-near-pobitora-wildlife-sanctuary.html
Category : Assam,Environment
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