Kamrup East forest a pale shadow of its former self

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, June 6: The forest cover in Kamrup district is shrinking fast, so is its greenery. The reason? An area of 946.73 hectare of the 3,5,329.25 hectare forest area in Kamrup district forest reserves (East) has been encroached upon under the very nose of the State Forest Department.

Citing official records, Divisiol Forest Officer Chandan Borah said this. He, however, said unofficial information is such that around 1,900 hectares of forest area has been under illegal occupation of settlers.

Borah said: "There are 16 forest reserves in Kamrup East forest zone that ranges from Khapara and Rani to Jalukbari. Among them, eight forest reserves are situated in Guwahati city like Gotagar reserve forest, Sarania Hills, South Kalapahar, Fatasil, Jalukbari, Hengrabari, Garbhanga First Addition and Rani Forest reserves."

The Forest Department says officially that the encroached upon forest areas are under East Kamrup. The district forest department cannot give any information regarding various types of flora and fau that exist in the forest area in the district. They say that there is no record of total flora and fau in the area as the records are taken only at the time of making working plans. The last working plan which was made in 2010 is still under process, and as such the number of flora and fau in the district have not been notified as yet.  If this is not negligence, what else is. Such a negligence on the part of the department speaks volumes of the reason why forest land in Kamrup East district is being encroached upon under the very nose of the department.

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