Item No. 06 Court No. 1 BEFORE THE NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL PRINCIPAL BENCH, NEW DELHI Original Application No.219/2025 News Item "Unchecked urbanisation pushing Deepor Beel into environment crisis: Experts appearing in the Assam Tribune dated 22.04.2025".

Date of hearing: 06.05.2025 CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE PRAKASH SHRIVASTAVA, CHAIRPERSON HON’BLE DR. A. SENTHIL VEL, EXPERT MEMBER HON’BLE DR. AFROZ AHMAD, EXPERT MEMBER

ORDER

1. This original application is registered suo-moto based on the news item titled “Unchecked urbanisation pushing Deepor Beel into environment crisis: Experts" appearing in the Assam Tribune dated 22.04.2025.

2. The news item relates to the serious environmental damage being caused to Deepor Beel in Guwahati, Assam. As per the news item, the wetland has been reduced in size due to unauthorized settlements, illegal dumping grounds, and the unrestricted dumping of solid waste.

3. The news item further highlights that these violations have caused the wetland to shrink from 40 square kilometers to less than half its original size. Furthermore, this has led to a sharp decline in biodiversity, affecting over 200 bird species like the Spot-billed Pelican, Lesser Adjutant Stork, and the Greater Adjutant.

4. The news item further states that, according to a local fisherman, the water is no longer clean, the fish are vanishing, the beel’s size is reducing, and the birds no longer visit the wetland.

5. As per the news item, wetlands act as natural flood buffers, absorbing excess monsoon water. They recharge groundwater, filter contaminants, and stabilize microclimates. As Deepor Beel declines, these critical roles are being lost. The news item mentions that areas around the beel that remained dry during heavy rainfall now get waterlogged for days. 6. The news item states that one of the major causes of the deterioration of the wetland is the Boragaon landfill nearby. Furthermore, despite court orders, waste dumping still continues, contaminating the wetland, and every monsoon, the trash from the dump finds its way into the beel.

7. The news item raises substantial issues relating to compliance of provisions of Environment Protection Act 1986, Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, Wetlands (Conservation and Management)

Rules, 2017 and Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.

8. The power of the Tribunal to take up the matter suo-motu has been recognized by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the matter of “Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai vs. Ankita Sinha &Ors.” reported in 2021 SCC Online SC 897.

9. Hence, we implead the following as respondents in the matter: (i) Respondent no.1- Member Secretary, Pollution Control Board, Assam, Pollution Control Board Assam, Bamunimaidam, Guwahati-781021, Assam;

(ii) Respondent no.2- Member Secretary, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Parivesh Bhawan, East Arjun Nagar, Delhi -

110032;

(iii) Respondent no.3- Integrated Regional Office (IRO), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Guwahati, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Regional Office (NEZ), Law-U-Sib, Lumbatngen, Near MTC Workshop, Shillong-793014, Meghalaya;

(iv) Respondent no.4- Assam State Wetlands Authority, Office of the PCCF & HOFF, Assam, Aranya Bhawan, Panjabari, Guwahati-

781037, Assam;

(v) Respondent no.5- Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup District, office of the Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup District, Amingaon, Assam – 781031.

10. Let notice be issued to the respondents for filing their response/reply by way of affidavit before the concerned Bench of the Tribunal at least one week before the next date of hearing. If any respondent directly files the reply without routing it through his advocate then the said respondent will remain virtually present to assist the Tribunal.

11. As the matter relates to State of Assam and is within jurisdiction of Eastern Zonal Bench, Kolkata, therefore it is transferred to Eastern Zonal Bench. Registry is directed to transmit record of this original ap