SHILLONG: The Meghalaya High Court has ordered the state government to carry out a detailed identification of waterbodies, wetlands, and Ramsar sites in the state and present a detailed report within six weeks.
This order comes after a Supreme Court order highlighting the importance of identification, upkeep, and conservation of such sites in the country.
The Supreme Court previously expressed concern over the status of Ramsar sites—internationally important wetlands—via a 2001 writ petition. In December 2024, after considering an affidavit filed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Supreme Court directed High Courts, including the Meghalaya High Court, to consider the affidavit a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL). This action was aimed at guaranteeing the appropriate protection and maintenance of Ramsar Convention areas within their respective states.
On Tuesday, a division bench of the Meghalaya High Court, headed by Chief Justice Indra Prasanna Mukerji and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh, initiated the PIL formally. The court noted a February 14, 2025, letter from the Member Secretary of the Meghalaya State Wetland Authority, saying that no Ramsar sites had been notified officially in the state.
Agreed, the court directed that the relevant documents be shared with concerned authorities, such as the Advocate General, the Deputy Solicitor General of India, the Meghalaya State Wetland Authority, and the Chief Conservator of Forests. This was done to verify the facts ascertained by the Meghalaya State Wetland Authority.
Throughout the proceedings, Government Advocate NG Shylla admitted that an exhaustive survey of all waterbodies and wetlands had not yet been undertaken. He asked for more time for a detailed survey, opining that certain areas may have been missed during earlier surveys. The court agreed with this request and directed the state government to liaise with the Meghalaya State Wetland Authority and Chief Conservator of Forests to ensure complete obedience to the Supreme Court's judgment. All sites identified as Ramsar sites shall be notified at once.
The court has issued a six-week time limit for the finalization of this survey, and the report has to be filed on the next date of hearing on April 29, 2025. In addition, the court instructed the Registrar General to nominate a counsel to appear for the High Court before the Supreme Court on 25th March 2025. This refers to the continued writ petition, Anand Arya v. Union of India, which encompasses the larger theme of wetland conservation throughout India.
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