SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
SILCHAR: The residents of Chailtacherra (Thapa West) and Binodpur (Thapa East), under Udharbond forest range of Cachar, 25 km from here, have drawn the attention of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal through Deputy Commissioner Keerthi Jally towards the illegal and reckless extraction of forest materials by stone mafias which if allowed to continue will play havoc with greenery around and eco Concern over illegal extraction of forest material in Cachar. The complainants, the owners and possessors land in question of the area, claim to have been living in the remote and isolated place with gifts of nature to live happily by maintaining their life substantially, categorized as BPL families.
They are from Dimasa community and their main source of living has been cultivation of varied crops like paddy, lemons, ginger, bamboo, banana among others. Far from the madding crowd and in the lap of nature, there has been no interference or infiltration from outside. But ever since all the rivers and their tributaries including rivulets have been brought under exploitation of forest resources officially and in a clandestine manner, mafias have become more than active. This is the scenario in the outlet of a river called nullah in colloquial language.
According to Dipankar Barman and Sanjoy Barman, signatories to the complaint-petition, keeping headmen of Chailtacherra and Binodpur villages, Pabitra Barman and Narendra Barman, in dark, stone mafia and mahaldar (name withheld) and his associates entered their village for extraction and carriage of forest materials illegally. Before their mite and muscle-flexing, the owners of land can hardly resist the evil design of mafias.
The villages have been on the territorial map of Cachar for the last 310 years. They are now faced with the problems of illegal lifting of stones with heavy duty trucks and JCB machines. They can no more use river water for drinking purpose due to pollution which has led to severe stomach disorders. Once peaceful and unpolluted, the villages with fast declining greenery around and loosening of soil stare at the natural calamity due to landslips. They remind how several hamlets along Madhura river were damaged due to illegal extraction of stones and sands until Gauhati High Court intervened. They have appealed to the Chief Minister to take cognizance of their petition and save the villagers.