Shillong, March 19 -- The High Court of Meghalaya has instructed the state government to conduct a comprehensive identification of waterbodies, wetlands, and Ramsar sites within the state, and submit a detailed report within six weeks.

This directive follows a Supreme Court order regarding the identification, maintenance, and preservation of such sites across the country.

The Supreme Court had previously issued concerns about the status of Ramsar sites, which are designated wetlands of international importance, in a 2001 writ petition. Following this, the court took further action in December 2024 after reviewing an affidavit by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The Supreme Court asked the High Courts, including th...