North East must immediately prevent loss of its forest cover: Parliamentary Committee

Fallout resulted in drastic weather changes in region

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Loss in the forest cover of the North East, which accounts for 65.34 per cent of its total geographical area, is far above than many other States in the country resulted in drastic weather changes in the region.

Alarmed at the development, a Parliamentary Committee has asked the Centre and the governments in the NE States to urgently look into factors responsible for the decline in forest cover in the region and take all necessary steps to ensure that the trend is arrested soon.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee in its latest report on science and technology, environment and forests has stated that decline in forest cover in the region has resulted in shifting cultivation and other development activities and biotic pressure prevalent in the region. It said such development is also responsible for fast weather changes in the north-eastern region.

“There has been a significant change in weather of the North East in the last few years. Unlike the earlier years the intensity of cold during the winter season has lessened in the last few years. During the summer season the region has been witnessing record number of hot days. Many NE States have recorded less rainfall even during the peak monsoon season,” a source close to preparation of the report of the Parliamentary Committee said.

The source said if the loss of forest cover is not arrested at the earliest, the North East will witness more changes in weather and adverse impact of global warming.

The Parliamentary Committee also said that in order to arrest the decline in forest cover, the Centre is supporting the north-eastern States with the intensification of forest management schemes. The National Afforestation Programme (NAP) has also been supporting the North East Region for treatment of degraded forest areas. “With these interventions, it is expected that the forest and tree cover will further improve in the NE States in the future,” the report said.

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