The Meghalaya High Court has initiated a suo moto public interest litigation (PIL) to monitor the conservation and preservation of wetlands in the State.
A division bench of Chief Justice Indra Prasanna Mukerji and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh said it was initiating the plea based on a December 2024 order of the Supreme Court asking all HCs to initiate proceedings for protection of wetlands, also known as Ramsar Convention sites, across the country.
While the court was informed that there was no notified Ramsar site in Meghalaya through a letter from the Member Secretary, Meghalaya State Wetland Authority, it directed that notices be issued to the State government, Advocate General, Deputy Solicitor General of India, Member Secretary, Meghalaya State Wetland Authority and the Chief Conservator of Forests (Administration) and the Department of Forests and Environment by March 7, 2025.
The bench posted the matter for hearing on March 12, 2025.
Ramsar sites are wetlands of international importance under Ramsar Convention on Wetlands — an international treaty for their conservation and sustainable use. It was named after the city of Ramsar in Iran, where the convention was signed in 1971.
In December 2024, the SC had noted in its order that, as per Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), India had 2,01,503 wetlands with an area of more than 2.25 hectares prior to 2017. As per ISRO, the number of wetlands had increased to 2,31,195 in 2021.
However, the SC observed that these figures “have to be checked on ground”.
The apex court said Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 and the guidelines issued thereunder prescribe ‘ground truthing’, which is identification of wetlands through actual inspection.
The SC said this step has been “neglected by almost all the states” and the demarcation of these wetlands has not been done.
