Illegal tree felling continues; needed a potent force to guard forest

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: There has been increase in green cover in the State in the last three years. However, in the absence of a potent force to keep the inter-State borders in reserve forests intact, illegal tree felling and encroachment of forest lands in the fringe areas have put a damper on this achievement.

According to sources, taking the advantage of lack of a potent force in Assam to protect its forested borders with Meghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram, and even with Bhutan, people from the neighbouring States continue to fell trees in Assam side and encroach upon land. A large number of illegal portable sawmills, around 1,000, dotting along the inter-state borders has also aggravated the situation for Assam. The edge which such sawmills have is that they can remove their sawing machines as and where there are raids along the border areas. Sources also say that a section of forest officials are well aware of such illegal sawmills, but they stop short of conducting any raid against them since they have a nexus with sawmill owners. In the past few months a few illegal sawmills and timber were seized, but a large number of illegal sawmills are still operational along the inter-State borders.

Talking to this reporter, a timber trader of the Boko-Chhaygaon area in Kamrup said, "A few illegal sawmills have been active in our area. They know how to make forest officials and police personnel look the other way. Only when there is pressure from higher-ups, they pick up one or two sawmill owners. So long the demand of timber is high in the market for making houses or furniture it won't be easy to check tree felling in the State."

A forest official said, "The neighbouring States take the advantage of the lack of any dedicated force to guard the inter-State border forest areas of Assam. Besides tree felling in our areas, they also encroach upon our lands. We lack two major wherewithal – funds and infrastructure – to conduct regular drives along inter-State forest areas. The increase of green cover of around 220 sq km in the State won't bear any fruits if the rampant tree felling and encroachment of Assam land along the inter-state border are allowed to continue. The State government needs to create a dedicated force to keep its bordering forest intact."

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