The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday stayed an Assam government order that had assigned approximately 1,600 Assam Forest Protection Force personnel to election duties for the April 9 Assembly polls.

The eastern zonal bench of the NGT, headed by Judicial Member Arun Kumar Tyagi and Expert Member Ishwar Singh, issued notices to the central government, Assam government, the State Biodiversity Board, and the National Biodiversity Authority. The case was filed by advocate Gaurav Bansal, who challenged the March 19 order diverting forest guards from their regular duties to support police operations during the elections.

Bansal contended that the redeployment contravenes the Biological Diversity Act and leaves Assam’s ecologically sensitive forests, including tiger reserves and other protected areas, vulnerable to poaching, illegal wildlife trade, and timber smuggling.

The tribunal, noting prima facie merit in the plea, invoked the precautionary principle along with provisions of the Indian Forest Act and the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam. It directed the special chief secretary of Assam’s environment department to ensure compliance with biodiversity laws and stayed the March 19 order until further notice.

The matter is scheduled for further hearing on April 6.