Guwahati: The Supreme Court has taken action regarding the alleged uprooting of trees and eviction of dwellers for the construction of an airport in the Doloo tea garden area of Silchar, Assam.
In response to a PIL filed by Tapas Guha, a resident of Kolkata, the court sought a report from the Cachar District Legal Services Authority. The PIL raised concerns about the breach of environmental impact assessment guidelines due to the large-scale uprooting of trees and tea farms.
As per a report by the Telegraph India, the PIL was opposed by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who questioned the petitioner’s standing and alleged ulterior motives, civil liberties advocate Prashant Bhushan represented the petitioner.
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Bhushan countered Mehta’s arguments by citing statements from the Assam Assembly regarding the measures taken for the airport’s construction, including tree felling and eviction of dwellers.
In light of the conflicting arguments, the apex court directed the Cachar District Legal Services Authority to provide a comprehensive report on the current status of the proposed airport within a week.
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