Meghalaya, July 12, 2023: In a significant development, the Meghalaya High Court issued an order on Tuesday, temporarily prohibiting the felling of trees in Package 1 of the Shillong-Dawki Road project until concerns regarding its implementation are addressed.
The bench, consisting of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice W Diengdoh, stated that tree felling should not proceed further for Package 1 until a contractor is awarded the project and can carry out construction unhindered. This decision came after a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) drew attention to the deforestation in Shillong as part of the initial package funded by Japan for the road construction project, as Live Law reported.
During the proceedings, the Public Works (R&B) Department submitted a status report revealing that work on Package 1 had not commenced due to the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG) refusing to release land for the project, among other issues.
According to the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), altering the road’s alignment at this stage to accommodate the IIG’s observatory would be impractical, resulting in a deadlock.
The bench remarked that until the IIG relents and allows the project to proceed, even with the appointment of a contractor, serious work on Package 1 cannot be initiated. Consequently, an interim stay on tree felling was ordered.
The court has scheduled a further hearing on July 31, 2023, to receive an updated report on the matter. This will provide an opportunity to assess progress made in resolving the concerns surrounding the implementation of the Shillong-Dawki Road project.
