GUWAHATI, India, June 4 -- Gauhati High Court issued the following order on May 5:
1Heard Mr. P. K. Goswami, learned Senior Counsel assisted by Mr. B. P. Borah, learned counsel for the petitioners as well as Mr. K. P. Pathak, learned Standing Counsel, for the Forest Department; Ms. D. D. Barman, learned Additional Senior Government Advocate, for the State Respondents; Mr. J. Chutiya, learned Standing Counsel, for the KAAC and Mr. S. Baruah, learned Standing Counsel, for the Pollution Control Board, Assam.
2. Both these writ petitions have been filed challenging the Orders dated 29.01.2025 issued by the Divisional Forest Officer, Karbi Anglong East Division, Diphu, suspending the mining operation in the stone quarries falling within the proposed Eco Sensitive Zone of Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve and within default Eco Sensitive Zone of Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve. It is the case of the petitioners that they were permitted to operate the mining in their respective areas after obtaining all the statutory clearance from the different departments, particularly, the Directorate of Geology and Mining, Environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environmental, Forest and Climate Change (Issued by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Assam) and the Pollution Control Board of Assam. Therefore, it is the case of the petitioners that after getting all the required statutory clearance the Divisional Forest Officer, Karbi Anglong East Division, Diphu, could not have suspended the mining operation in the stone quarries in respect of the writ petitioners.
3. This Court after hearing the parties, on 03.04.2025 permitted the petitioners to file an application for review by annexing all the relevant documents in the said review application within a period of 1 (one) week from the date of issuance of the Order before the Secretary, Department of Environment and Forest, KAAC, Diphu/respondent No. 15, who in turn shall place the application to be filed by the petitioner before the CEM, KAAC forthwith. It was further directed that the CEM, KAAC, shall consider the review application filed by the petitioners after giving an opportunity of hearing and passed appropriate Orders in accordance with law within a period of 2 (two) weeks.
*Rest of the document can be viewed at: (https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/ecourtindiaHC/cases/display_pdf.php?filename=A9S7c5LDIsB6RXaCf816x6AUduPaMNORMWFxI1sRyjktPAgO7KGm1xo4wLlRvdrt&caseno=WP(C)/1009/2025&cCode=1&cino=GAHC010036322025&state_code=6&appFlag=)
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
