The Meghalaya High Court has disposed of a suo moto public interest litigation (PIL) to monitor the conservation and preservation of wetlands in the State after the government reported that no wetlands in the state qualify as a Ramsar site.
In its submission to the High Court, the government informed that the Meghalaya State Wetland Authority and the personnel of the Chief Conservator of Forests (Administration) had inspected the wetlands in the state which comprises of 66 lakes/ponds, one oxbow/cut off meander, six riverine wetlands, 18 waterlogged bodies, 100 river/streams, nine reservoirs/barrages and 25 tanks/ponds.
A division bench of Chief Justice Indra Prasanna Mukerji and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh said, “Ground truthing of these wetlands had been completed. It is opined in the report by the Chief Conservator of Forests of the State government that none of the above wetlands qualify as a Ramsar site. The said report is accepted and taken on record.”
The court also directed the Registrar General to affirm an affidavit in the said writ petition before the Supreme Court on the steps taken in compliance with its said order, including all orders passed and the report. The said affidavit should only be filed after obtaining appropriate leave from the highest court, it added.
It may be mentioned that the Meghalaya High Court had initiated 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.
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.
