Gauhati High Court Seeks Clarity on Forest Clearance for Guwahati Ring Road

A division bench of the Gauhati High Court has directed the Assam government to file an affidavit confirming whether mandatory forest clearance was obtained for the ₹6,000 crore, 121-km Guwahati Ring Road project.

The bench, led by Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury, was hearing a PIL filed by Arkashish Chaliha and Mahesh Deka.

The petition challenges a move to fell trees inside the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary and its eco-sensitive zone, calling it premature and potentially damaging.

While the state government claimed all required clearances are in place, the court sought written confirmation and directed that the tree-felling tender should not be finalised until the next hearing on April 23, 2026.

The project, being developed by the National Highways Authority of India, includes a bypass and a bridge over the Brahmaputra River. Petitioners clarified they are not opposing the project but raised concerns that the current route may harm critical wildlife habitats and an elephant corridor, and alleged that key environmental conditions are not being fully followed.