---
title: "High Court Freezes Encroachment at Manas Tiger Reserve Pending Legal Review"
url: https://projectchintan.com/article/gauhati-high-court-manas-tiger-reserve-encroachment-status-quo-ab6kl
publisher: Project Chintan
author: Project Chintan Newsroom
section: Technology
published: 2026-08-06T11:53:44.000Z
modified: 2026-08-06T14:03:15.368Z
language: en-IN
---

# High Court Freezes Encroachment at Manas Tiger Reserve Pending Legal Review

The Gauhati High Court has prohibited new illegal settlements within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Manas National Park. The judicial intervention follows reports of thousands of unauthorized residents and government-run agricultural activities on protected tiger habitats.

## Key takeaways

- The Gauhati High Court ordered a status quo on land encroachment in Manas National Park until October 7, 2026.
- A government-run seed farm is allegedly occupying 3,558 bighas of core tiger habitat despite its lease expiring in 2001.
- Internal reports estimate over 7,500 people are illegally residing on 14,545 bighas within the protected reserve ranges.
- The legal action seeks the enforcement of the Wildlife (Protection) Act to remove unauthorized structures from the UNESCO site.

## Legal Intervention for Protected Habitats

A Division Bench of the Gauhati High Court, led by Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury, has ordered a status quo on the occupation of land within the Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve. This directive, issued on July 31, 2026, requires the Assam state government and the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) to halt any further expansion of unauthorized settlements across the 2,837-square-kilometer conservation zone.

The court responded to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) initiated by environmental activist Rohit Choudhury. The petitioner seeks a writ of mandamus to compel authorities to evict occupants from the transboundary site, specifically citing incursions in the Panbari and Betbari regions of the park's core area.

## The Kokilabari Seed Farm Dispute

A central focus of the legal challenge is the 3,558.32 bighas occupied by the Kokilabari Seed Farm in the Bhuyanpara Range. While the land was originally leased to the central government for three decades, that agreement expired in 2001. Records indicate the BTC Agriculture Department currently controls the parcel for cultivation. Despite a 2023 assessment by Assam’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forests labeling this area as critical tiger habitat, the 9.3 square kilometers have not yet been returned to forest authorities.

## Extent of Unauthorized Settlements

Data presented in the litigation suggests widespread human presence within the tiger reserve. A 2025 report from the Field Director to district officials identified more than 18,000 bighas of encroached land. The documentation alleges that 7,520 individuals living in 1,522 structures are occupying roughly 14,545 bighas across the Panbari and Bhuyanpara Ranges.

Under Section 34A of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, forest officials possess the legal authority to remove unauthorized structures and evict occupants from national parks. However, the petitioner contends that the state has failed to exercise these powers despite years of internal correspondence regarding the seed farm and other settlements.

## What Happens Next

The Gauhati High Court has issued notices to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, and the Field Director of the reserve. These parties are expected to respond by October 7, 2026, when the matter will return for a follow-up hearing. Until that date, the state must ensure no new encroachments occur within the boundaries of the heritage site.

Source: The Hindu — Sci-Tech

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Canonical: https://projectchintan.com/article/gauhati-high-court-manas-tiger-reserve-encroachment-status-quo-ab6kl
Reported from: The Hindu — Sci-Tech