Concern Over the Falling of Endangered Wanton tree in Dima Hasao District, Former Executive Member of NC Hills Autonomous Council submitted a memorandum

A Correspondent

Haflong, July 25: Complaining against the wanton tree felling and boulder collection from rivers in Dima Hasao district, former Executive Member, N C Hills Autonomous Council, Golon Daulagupu submitted a memorandum to the Chief Secretary, Government of Assam.

Daulagupu, who was elected for three consecutive terms of NCHAC from 1996, stated that the district of Dima Hasao was the only hill district in Assam in the true sense and was also considered to be the greenest district with about 86 per cent forest cover. But wanton tree felling in the district, including the bordering areas of Assam-Nagaland, had triggered a serious threat to the environment as well as to wildlife.

In some saw mills in Langting, Umrangso, Maibang and Diyungbra, large number of logs have been found dumped, suspected to be illegally procured from Langting- Mupa Reserve Forest, Kruming Reserve Forest and Borail Reserve Forest. Even planted trees are being felled by misleading the authority concerned, he said.

The timber smugglers also show low grade timber on paper but practically high grade timber is smuggled. In this way, the autonomous council is being deprived of a large amount of revenue. For this reason also the council is not in a position to pay the salary of employees since a long time.

Advent of Chinese portable tree-felling machine in the district is also another problem since these machines can fell trees in large numbers in a short period of time. The collection of boulders from all the major rivers of Dima Hasao is also a matter of serious concern. The boulders are being collected from rivers with huge excavators, violating all the norms and regulations. All the rivers in Dima Hasao are on the verge drying and all the tributaries, streams and fountains have dried up due to such collection of boulders.

At present many places, including Haflong, have been hit by acute water crisis. Various aquatic species, including fishes, which were found in abundance few years back, are also on the verge of extinction for ecological imbalance.

Daulagupu said that Dima Hasao would become a desert very soon if these illegal practices of tree felling and collection of boulders from the rivers were allowed to continue. He appealed to the Chief Secretary to look into the matter and intervene.