Meghalaya High Court: Halted Tree Felling Until Issues With Shillong-Dawki Road Project Ironed Out

The Meghalaya High Court in the case Kaustav Paul vs State of Meghalaya & ors observed and has passed the order wherein prohibiting the felling of trees on Package 1 of the Shillong-Dawki Road project till the said issues with the implementation of it are being ironed out.

The bench comprising of Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice W Diengdoh in the case observed and has ordered that the felling of trees for the purpose of package, this court should not be carried out till such time that the work under package, this court is awarded to a contractor and the contractor is able to take up the construction unimpeded.

In the present case, the PIL was moved wherein concerning over the felling of trees in Shillong as part of the initial package of the Japanese-funded road construction endeavour. Therefore, the status report has been filed by Public Works (R and B) Department in the matter wherein it revealed that the work for this package had not yet commenced since the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism, IIG is unwilling to relinquish any land for the project , apart from the other issues. The court observed that as per the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited, NHIDCL wherein it altered the road’s alignment at this stage to avoid encroaching on the IIG’s observatory would be impractical. The said conflict has reached the deadlock.

The bench while considering the facts and circumstances of the case remarked while ordering interim stay on tree felling that even if the contractor were to be appointed, till the IIG relents, the work under package I cannot be undertaken seriously.

Accordingly, the court listed the matter for further consideration on 31.07.2023.