The High Court of Chhattisgarh lifted the stay on import of Wild Buffaloes from Assam, but with an important condition that the buffaloes will have to be released in wild after 45 days and directed Forest Department of Chhattisgarh to conduct ecological suitability study. A Double Bench of Chief Justice and Justice Sanjay K Agrawal lifted the stay with the compliance of a new report by Wildlife Institute of India and Assam Government’s terms through an order dated April 10, 2023.

Chhattisgarh Forest Department already brought a male and a female sub-adult buffalo from Manas Tiger Reserve of Assam in April 2020 and kept at Barnawapara Sanctuary whereas Government of India and Chhattisgarh Government had granted permission with the condition that the buffaloes will be released in the wild. The National Tiger Conservation Authority had also asked Chhattisgarh Forest Department to submit an ecological suitability report.

Chhattisgarh Forest Department had planned to keep wild buffaloes from Assam in an enclosure for entire lifetime and to release the offspring created from the cross breeding of Assamese buffaloes with the buffaloes of Chhattisgarh kept in another enclosure in Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve. Raipur-based wildlife conservationist Nitin Singhvi had filed a petition over lifetime captivity of buffaloes from Assam and genetic dissimilarities between buffaloes from the two states and non-submission of ecological suitability report to NTCA in 2022.

The Court had put a stay on import of four more wild buffaloes from Assam in March of 2023 after Chhattisgarh Forest Department sent teams to bring buffaloes from Assam. The High Court has granted Chhattisgarh Forest Department after the Department informed Court about the new report of WII and Assam Government’s conditional permission. WII report reads that Assamese buffaloes can be used for breeding programme. The permission granted by Assam Government adds following conditions: The buffaloes can be kept in enclosure for a maximum of 45 days, after which the animals will have to be released in the wild. The conditions added in the permission granted by Government of India to translocate buffaloes shall be abided with. The permission mandates releasing the buffaloes in new suitable habitat and not to keep them in captivity for lifetime. The buffaloes can only be brought after submission of ecological suitability report is submitted to the NTCA