Guwahati, March 11 -- Assam's two wildlife sanctuaries, Deepor Beel and Pobitora, located near Guwahati, might lose their protected status. Sources say the Assam government decided to denotify the sanctuaries in a cabinet meeting on Sunday.

The decision, however, has not been officially announced. Assam's tourism minister, Jayanta Malla Baruah, addressed the media on Sunday about the cabinet meeting's decisions but made no mention of the sanctuaries' identification.

Likewise, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma shared details of the cabinet meeting on social media but excluded any mention of Deepor Beel and Pobitora's denotification.

This move by the government has been met with criticism from environmentalists and wildlife expert...