The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has registered a suo motu case following reports of unauthorized road construction in the ecologically sensitive catchment areas from Ganga to Taipu and Ganga to Tago in the Itanagar Capital Region.
The NGT’s action is based on a news report published in The Arunachal Times on 22 April 2025, headlined ‘Villagers seek halt on illegal road construction’. The tribunal stated that the reported activities raise serious concerns regarding compliance with the Forest Conservation Act, 1980; the Environment Protection Act, 1986; and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
The case has been transferred to the eastern zonal bench in Kolkata, with the next hearing scheduled for 21 July.
This development offers clear respite for local communities who have long demanded action to protect their environment and water sources from further degradation, which had become a serious health hazard. Despite repeated appeals, the authorities in the state failed to act, forcing residents to rely on unsafe drinking water.
This is one of the rare instances where villagers have raised their voice against a construction agency that has been damaging the environment. Many villages across the state face unsafe earth-cutting due to road and infrastructure projects, resulting in massive destruction during the monsoon season. However, communities often remain silent, as roads are seen as their only hope for accessing basic healthcare, education, and transportation facilities.
The construction agency and the government must be held accountable, so that citizens do not suffer. Development should never come at the cost of people living in constant fear, dealing with contaminated water, and witnessing ecological destruction.