BY OUR STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI, May 28: The rate of encroachment of forests in Assam is highest in the Northeast and second highest in the country, according to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
According to official records, total forest area in the State was 19,35,173.32 hectares as on March 31 last year, with 13,97,315.87 hectares being reserve forest area.
Of the total forest area in Assam, according to the Ministry, 3,17,215.39 hectares of forest land were encroached upon. This rate of encroachment is second highest in the country. Only Madhya Pradesh, with its far larger area and forest resources, has witnessed higher rate of forest encroachment than Assam with 5,34,717.28 hectares encroached upon.
In the Northeastern States including Sikkim, 4,07,721.64 hectares of green cover were encroached upon. Besides Assam, 58,636.13 hectares of forest land were encroached in Aruchal Pradesh, 1,356.80 hectares in Manipur, 9,378.00 hectares in Meghalaya, 9,589.48 hectares in Mizoram, 8,721.86 hectares in galand, 6.77 hectares in Tripura, and 2,817.21 hectares in Sikkim.
According to the Assam Forest department, around 137.76 sq km of forest land in four tiol parks and five wildlife sanctuaries of Assam are now under encroachment. This is in addition to the encroachment in three additions of Kaziranga tiol Park.
Within the 500-sq km of Mas tiol Park, there are illegal settlements in around 31 sq km stretch. Soi-Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary has the highest proportion of encroachment. Of the total 220 sq km of land in this sanctuary, around 85 sq km is under encroachment, according to Forest department reports.
The records further stated that around 2.35 sq km of 78 sq km of Orang tiol Park has been encroached upon, while at the Dibru-Saikhowa tiol Park, 3.71 sq km of the total 340 sq km has been occupied illegally. The 200 sq km meri tiol Park also has 5 sq km land under encroachment. Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary with 70.13 sq km area has 3 sq km under illegal occupation, while at Burachapori Wildlife Sanctuary, 5.04 sq km of the total 44.06 sq km is under encroachment. Borjan-Bherjan-Podumoni Wildlife Sanctuary has 0.38 sq km under encroachment and Dihing-Patkai has 2.28 sq km under encroachment, added the government reports.
Sources in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change stated that protection and magement of forest area is primarily the responsibility of respective State and Union Territory governments. Action against any offense, including encroachment, is taken under relevant provisions of various Acts and rules such as Indian Forest Act, 1927, Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and other Acts, rules and regulations framed by the States.
In the last Assembly elections, the BJP-led coalition had made a promise to free xatra and forest lands from encroachment. On May 24, the new State government completed its first year in office and Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal informed the media that 2,436 hectares of lands belonging to tiol parks, wildlife sanctuaries, reserve forest, etc were freed of encroachment.
Sonowal further stated that as per the direction of Gauhati High Court, 750 acres of land belonging to Kaziranga tiol Park, in which 381 families were residing, were made encroachment free.
Now, it’s the responsibility of the Sonowal government to resolutely keep on with this drive so that its poll promise regarding encroachment is fulfilled.