Guwahati, April 12 -- The Gauhati High Court, under the bench of Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar, has restrained authorities from finalising a tender for tree felling inside the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary in connection with the Guwahati Ring Road project.

The order, passed on April 8, came during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by social activist Arkashis Chaliha and senior journalist Mahesh Deka, who have raised concerns over the environmental impact of the project.

The PIL does not oppose the Rs 6,000-crore, 121-km ring road project being executed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), but questions the alignment of a proposed bypass that allegedly cuts through the wildlife sanctuary and its eco-sensi...