Right to Live With Dignity: Gauhati HC Slams Assam Govt Over Eviction Conditions
Gauhati High Court directs Assam to provide basic amenities to families evicted from Hasila Beel.
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In June 2025, over 600 families were evicted from the Hasila Beel wetland area in Assam’s Goalpara district. Following the eviction, hundreds of families, including children, have been living in makeshift camps on land belonging to others. The displaced families have reported inadequate access to potable water, sanitation, food, and medical care, resulting in significant hardship and several deaths among the affected population.
According to The Indian Express, the Gauhati High Court, presided over by Justice Devashis Baruah, directed the Assam government and Goalpara district administration to provide essential facilities to the evicted families. The court emphasised that the right to life encompasses the right to live with dignity, access to potable water, sanitation, and basic medical facilities. The bench issued interim directions requiring authorities to ensure these amenities are provided to the displaced persons.
As highlighted by Scroll, the court’s order followed a joint petition by 60 individuals who alleged that the eviction violated legal standards and left families in dire conditions. The petitioners argued that, despite holding ration cards, they were unable to access adequate food grains due to insufficient supplies at local fair price shops. The court instructed the administration to ensure the availability of food grains and to set up temporary sanitation facilities for those residing on non-government land.
The court also mandated that the District Commissioner and the District Food and Civil Supplies Officer guarantee the provision of rations to eligible families. The Joint Director of Health Services was directed to ensure that primary health centres near the camps are equipped to provide basic medical care. The administration was further ordered to file affidavits by 9 March 2026, detailing the steps taken to provide these basic necessities to the affected families as the proceedings continued.
The court’s order noted, “It is the opinion of this Court that the right to life includes the right to live with dignity, right to potable water, right to sanitation, as well as right to basic medical facilities.” The bench also referenced the National Food Security Act, 2013, stating that its benefits must be extended to all eligible persons.
“Taking into account the inhuman condition in which the petitioners are residing, the State, being a welfare State and bound by the Directive Principles of the Constitution of India, is at least required to provide the basic amenities such as sanitation, potable water, medical care, as well as food,”
Further coverage revealed that the state’s counsel argued there was no shortage of supplies in the fair price shops, but acknowledged that the camps were not on government land, necessitating additional instructions for providing sanitation. The court instructed the administration to explore solutions for setting up temporary sanitation mechanisms and to ensure that all affected families could access the basic necessities of life.
The court clarified that other requests, such as a judicial inquiry into the eviction drive, would be considered after the government departments submitted their affidavits. The matter remains under judicial scrutiny, with the next steps dependent on the responses and compliance of the relevant authorities as details emerged.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.