Staff Reporter
Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court has issued notices to three respondents in a public interest litigation (PIL), namely, Manas National Park And Tiger Reserve, Ministry Of Environment, Forest And Climate Change and National Tiger Conservation Authority on the steps being taken for removal of unauthorized encroachments from the Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve. The notices are returnable by October 7, 2026.
The notices were issued by the bench of Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury in a case (PIL/47/2026) filed by an environmentalist seeking a mandamus against the State of Assam and the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) for removal of unauthorized encroachments from the Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve.
In the instant hearing, the advocate for the petitioner submitted that large scale encroachments have taken place under Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve, particularly, in the Panbari and Betbari areas falling under the National Park and that a seed farm, namely, Kokilabari Seed Farm, is also operating within the area falling under the National Park. In fact, a big parcel of the land continues to be used for cultivation under the control of the Agriculture Department of the BTC, the counsel said.
The Additional Advocate General, Assam, accepted the notice on behalf of the state government, while Standing Counsel, BTC, accepted the notice on behalf of the Bodoland Territorial Council.
The bench directed that notices should be issued to respondents No. 4, 5 and 6, i.e., Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and National Tiger Conservation Authority on the steps being taken by the petitioner within a period of two weeks and returnable by October 7, 2026.
Moreover, the bench directed that the authorities shall ensure that no further encroachment takes place in the Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve until the next date on October 7, 2026.