GUWAHATI: Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has sought immediate action from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in response to the alarming decline in the forest cover of Assam and the entire Northeast region, as depicted in the Indian State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023.
The report found that there was a loss of 83.92 sq. km of forest cover in Assam, which was a huge blow to the region, as it acts as a critical carbon sink that stores 271.37 million tonnes of carbon. In a letter to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, Gogoi outlined the grave environmental and socio-economic impacts of the degradation of forests, attributing the loss to deforestation, illegal logging, and land encroachment.
He mentioned specific examples, like the diversion of Geleky forest land for infrastructure development, which includes a commando camp, as environmentally detrimental projects. He also expressed concerns regarding the Bokakhat dumping site, which poses a threat to the protected forests in the neighborhood.
Gogoi emphasized a multidimensional approach to prevent further deforestation. He added that in addition to the existing forest guard personnel, there should be well-equipped personnel with advanced technologies such as GPS tracking and drones to monitor illegal activities in the forests. He underlined coordination between the forces protecting the forests, law enforcing departments, and revenue departments in implementing the forest laws.
In addition, Gogoi asked for an active role of the community in forest management through grassroots initiatives whereby residents have the power to conserve and sustainably utilize forest resources.
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