NGT responds to The Assam Tribune’s Deepor Beel report, seeks reply within month
Pollution boards, wetlands authority & Kamrup DC asked to explain Deepor Beel’s worsening ecological condition
The Assam Tribune impact
Guwahati, July 27: The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Eastern Zone Bench, has granted four weeks' time to the Assam Pollution Control Board (APCB), Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Assam State Wetlands Authority, and the Kamrup Deputy Commissioner to submit their counter-affidavits in response to the deteriorating condition of Deepor Beel - Guwahati’s only Ramsar site.
This directive came during a hearing, following suo motu cognisance of an article published in The Assam Tribune on April 22, 2025, titled “Unchecked urbanisation pushing Deepor Beel into environmental crisis: Experts.”
On July 21, a hearing was conducted by Justices B. Amit Sthalekar and Dr. Arun Kumar Verma in Kolkata, following the transfer of the case (O.A. No. 99/2025/EZ) from the New Delhi Bench.
The bench acknowledged the extensive environmental degradation reported in the article, citing the shrinking of the wetland from over 40 sq km to less than half, mainly due to unauthorised settlements, rampant solid waste dumping, and the encroachment of illegal structures.
The court noted that the violations have not only compromised the wetland’s size but have also triggered a sharp loss in biodiversity, affecting over 200 species of birds, including the Spot-billed Pelican, Lesser Adjutant Stork, and the critically endangered Greater Adjutant.
Pollution, toxic leachate from the adjacent Boragaon landfill, and encroachments have rendered the beel’s water unclean, destroyed aquatic life, and jeopardised the livelihood of local fishermen, the court observed.
The court order
The APCB and CPCB were represented, with the former seeking four weeks to submit a counter-affidavit. The Assam State Wetlands Authority and Kamrup Deputy Commissioner were also granted four weeks to file their responses.
This judicial response follows two decades of unchecked urban expansion in Guwahati. Of late, the city has morphed into a dense urban labyrinth.
The growth, while boosting infrastructure and economic activity, has taken a grievous toll on the environment, particularly on wetlands and green belts, which are now giving way to concrete and waste.
Deepor Beel stands as the most glaring example of this imbalance. Long revered as a natural flood buffer, groundwater recharger, and biodiversity hotspot, its degradation now threatens both urban resilience and ecological balance. As Guwahati becomes increasingly vulnerable to flash floods, experts warn of deeper consequences.
Despite repeated court orders, waste continues to be dumped near the wetland. The Boragaon landfill, located alarmingly close to this protected site, continues to discharge leachate into the beel. This has altered pH levels, poisoned aquatic ecosystems, and poses serious health hazards to nearby residents.
Experts and activists are urging immediate action and not just legal, but civic and policy-based. Urban development in Guwahati must now be dictated by environmental assessments and sustainability, not just profitability.
With the NGT now actively involved, there is renewed hope that this ecological jewel might be preserved before it’s too late. Guwahati must now choose between short-term urban gains and long-term environmental survival.
The next hearing is scheduled for August 25, 2025.