Illegal Timber Logging Alleged in East Siang District

Our Correspondent

Itanagar: The people of Seram village under Mebo Sub-Division in East Siang district have appealed the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) and Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Pasighat to stop illegal timber logging and business under Seram forest beat

The villagers led by Gaon Burah Josung Modi and village secretary Amit Modi alleged that rampant timber logging is going on in the village by people from neighbouring villages, who illegally supplies timber logs to Assam through the Siang river.

“Illegal logging of timbers and its trades are rampant in the area which is taking place in the very nose of the Seram forest beat under Mebo Range Office,” they alleged. “We have been witnessing large scale illegal timber logging and rafting in theconfluence of Sisar and Siang rivers and the timber mafias have started felling and cutting trees of our community forest owned by villagers as the reserve forest trees are already destroyed”, added the Gaon Burah.

Modi said that he had written a complaint letter to DFO Pasighat but there was no action so far.

The village secretary informed that he too had written a reminder letter to DFO but there was no action so far.

He added that illegal timber logging is rampant in the area including lifting of drift wood from Siang river banks which is banned by the district administration as it act as flood protection measures. “Despite ban, the timber mafias are involving in illegal timber logging in broad daylight in the area close to the Seram forest beat.

They have also alleged possible nexus between forest staffs and illegal timber mafias without whose connivance the large scale felling of tress have not been possible.

The villagers appealed the authrities to initiate measures to control and restrict illegal timber operation in the area and set up an inquiry committee to unearth the possible nexus between forest officials and timber mafias.

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