Assam government’s decision to revoke the sanctuary status of Garbhanga

In the PIL (62/2024) filed by Subrat Talukdar, who aims to overturn the Assam government’s decision to remove Garbhanga’s sanctuary status, a division bench of the Gauhati High Court consisting of Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice N. Unni Krishnan Nair sent notice to the Government of India and the Assam Government.

After praying, all of the respondents’ attorneys were given three weeks to provide a response to the PIL petition. Three weeks later, the High Court scheduled the PIL’s next hearing. The Garbhanga Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 2022 by the Assam government on 117 square kilometers in the Kamrup (Metro) district. In August 2023, the government unexpectedly changed its mind and reverted the decision, renaming it Garbhanga Reserve Forest.

The eastern portion of Assam’s Kamrup district is home to the Garbhanga Reserved Forest, which lies 80–670 meters above sea level. The woodland is renowned for its varied flora and beauty. A mixture of deciduous and semi-evergreen forests make up the Rani-Garbhanga Reserved Forests, which abut it.