Hydrocarbon exploration in Upper Dehing RF
I wish to draw urgent public attention to the recent decision permitting Oil India Limited to undertake hydrocarbon exploration in a portion of the Upper Dehing Reserved Forest in Tinsukia district.
The approval, granted under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, involves the diversion of approximately 4.9 hectares of forest land within the Digboi Forest Division. Significantly, the proposed site lies within the Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve—an ecologically sensitive landscape that serves as a crucial habitat and movement corridor for wild elephants.
This decision is deeply alarming, particularly at a time when the region is already experiencing an increase in human-elephant conflict due to habitat fragmentation and food scarcity. Any further disruption in such a fragile ecosystem is likely to obstruct elephant movement and aggravate conflict, posing serious risks to both wildlife and local communities.
The project entails the felling of around 135 trees in a dense forest area with a canopy density of 0.8 (Eco-class I), indicating a relatively undisturbed ecosystem. The destruction of such a rich natural habitat for hydrocarbon extraction raises serious environmental and ethical concerns.
The Dehing Patkai landscape is home to over 500 elephants and supports 47 species of mammals, including several primates and wild cats. It also shelters rare and endangered species such as the tiger, clouded leopard, Chinese pangolin, and Himalayan black bear, along with nearly 293 species of birds. Often described as the “Amazon of the East", this rainforest represents one of the last remaining tropical rainforests in Assam. Experts have consistently warned that disturbances in adjoining forest areas could have cascading impacts on the ecological stability of the Dehing Patkai National Park.
Moreover, the long-term environmental risks associated with the project—such as construction of access roads, drilling pits, and waste disposal—cannot be overlooked. Drilling operations involving deep boreholes carry the potential risk of oil leakage and contamination, which could irreversibly damage the region’s fragile biodiversity.
While compensatory afforestation has been proposed elsewhere, such measures cannot replace the ecological value of a mature rainforest. Past experiences also raise concerns about the effective implementation of environmental safeguards. In light of these concerns, I urge the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and other concerned authorities to reconsider this decision in the larger interest of ecological conservation and sustainable development. Protecting our remaining natural forests is not merely an environmental obligation—it is essential for maintaining ecological balance and safeguarding the future of coming generations.
Mowsam Hazarika
Bharalumukh, Guwahati.
Tragic Delhi fire
Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I wish to express my deep sorrow and concern over the tragic fire that claimed more than twenty lives in a bed-and-breakfast (B&B) facility in Delhi. Most heartbreaking is the fact that many of the victims had come to the city seeking medical treatment and a chance of recovery.
While the immediate cause of the fire is yet to be determined, the root cause lies in a much deeper and recurring problem, i.e., administrative negligence and poor enforcement of safety regulations. It is difficult to believe that a multi-storey building accommodating dozens of people could operate without proper fire safety audits, emergency exits, and regular inspections. Such incidents do not occur overnight; they are often the result of years of unchecked violations and official apathy. The reality is that building safety laws in India are often confined to paper. Authorities responsible for granting licences, conducting inspections, and ensuring compliance must also be held accountable whenever such disasters occur. Responsibility should not be limited to the building owner alone. If illegal operations continued despite existing regulations, questions must be asked about the roles of the concerned municipal, fire, and regulatory authorities. This tragedy serves as a stark reminder that systemic failures, not just fire, lead to the loss of lives. Unless strict accountability is fixed and safety norms are enforced without compromise, similar incidents will continue to occur. I hope the authorities will treat this incident as a wake-up call and undertake meaningful reforms to prevent such avoidable loss of life in the future.
Subhash Chandra Biswas
Guwahati.
Assam’s Singham
Sometime back Assam had an IPS officer named Anand Mishra who was also known as SINGHAM. During his entire career as SSP, he was a terror to the anti-national criminals belonging to the linguistic minority community.
During his tenure as SSP of the Lakhimpur district, he almost singlehandedly broke the fake gold racket run by the above-mentioned community. But suddenly, as it happens in the silver screen in Bollywood, he resigned, left Assam and joined politics, contested the Bihar Assembly election and won.
I wish him well.
Dr Ashim Chowdhury,
Guwahati.
Urgent need of U-turn at Kaliapani
Through the column of your esteemed daily, I, on behalf of the people of greater Kaliapani, would like to request the authorities concerned, engaged in the construction of the national highway in Jorhat, to install a U-turn at Kaliapani Tini Ali in the Jorhat District. It's seen that, as there is no U-turn or service road at Kaliapani, vehicles coming from the Jorhat direction often change lanes at the CKB College U-turn point to enter Kaliapani instead of going to the Hanchara U-turn, which is about 2 km away. Crossing at CKB College Point and traversing in the wrong direction for about 2 kms to enter the Kaliapani area can't be said to be safe at all, as the place is located in an accident-prone area. The accidents that occur regularly between Kaliapani and CKB College in Teok clearly demonstrate the necessity for installing a U-turn at this location. The important thing is that Kaliapani is becoming an educational hub today.
Two universities, namely the Assam Women's University and the Aauniaati University, are fully functional right now. Moreover, the construction of a law college is nearing completion, and the academic session will commence shortly. Most importantly, construction of a hundred-bedded hospital is going on in full swing at Kaliapani. It is clear that all these institutions will become functional within a short period, which will likely increase the risk of heavy wrong-side traffic flow. Furthermore, the Selenghut Kaliapani road is one of the busiest roads in Teok. This road connects many tea gardens owned by small tea growers, government offices, educational institutions, religious places, and a weekly Saturday market.
Especially on Saturdays, vehicles coming from the Jorhat direction to the weekly Saturday market indeed increase the intensity of wrong-side traffic, which causes some great inconveniences to all classes of people. Under the circumstances stated above, I, on behalf of the people of Kaliapani, would like to request the authorities concerned engaged in the construction of the highway to make the necessary arrangements to install a U-turn or service road at Kaliapani in the greater public interest.
Basanta Baruah
Kaliapani Tini Ali
Planting trees for changing climate
At a time when countries around the world are struggling to halt deforestation and meet climate targets, Assam marked World Environment Day on June 5 with a landmark environmental initiative. The state planted more than 1.2 crore saplings in a little over eight hours. The CM hailed the achievement as a significant step towards strengthening Assam's green cover. The entire credit goes to women across the state for spearheading the massive plantation campaign. Their collective contribution towards environmental conservation and sustainable development deserves to be appreciated. The initiative aims to promote ecological preservation and expand forests and green cover. It needs to be mentioned here that according to Global Forest Watch, Assam recorded the highest tree-cover loss among the states between 2001 and 2025, losing approximately 3,60,000 hectares of tree cover during the period. Sadly, Kamrup Metropolitan is also facing its own environmental challenge—the gradual loss of forest cover amid rapid urban expansion. Their decline can increase the risk of urban flooding, intensify heat stress and reduce the city's ecological resilience. As the city expands and demands for land grow, environmentalists warn that preserving the remaining forests and green spaces will be critical for maintaining liveability and climate resilience in the years ahead. It is also a local challenge, playing out on the edge of Assam's largest city, Guwahati, where the future of development may depend on how much natural landscape can still be preserved. The state government's latest broader strategy will definitely encourage greater public involvement in environmental protection efforts in the days to come.
Iqbal Saikia,
Guwahati
Safe food handling
Worldwide, one in ten people falls ill from contaminated food every year. Contaminated food consumption can cause over 200 diseases, from trivial to severe, according to the WHO. Being prepared for the unexpected is always a sensible option. In other words, everyone should foresee "food incidents." Every person is entitled to safe, sustainable and nutritious food. Accidents and inadequate control lead to contaminated food affecting the health of an individual through foodborne diseases.
Natural events can also defile food. Safe food handling and storage are key, and precaution while preparing food is paramount. Myths about what constitutes hygienic food need to be broken. In addition to public health, sustainable development, food security, and international trade benefit from healthy food practices. Food safety is a shared responsibility: producers, retailers and regulators have the onerous task of keeping food free from contamination. "World Food Safety Day" was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on June 7, 2018.
Dr Ganapathi Bhat
(gbhat13@gmail.com)