Working plan in 23 forest divisions in Assam yet to be approved

 Staff Reporter

Guwahati: Despite a clear specification from the Supreme Court that all forest divisions must have working plans, 23 of the 33 forest divisions in Assam are yet to have approved working plans in place.

This fact was revealed during the hearing of a suomoto case (PIL(Suo Moto)/3/2023) before the bench of Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice Suman Shyam at the Gauhati High Court.

The bench was made to understand that working plans in respect of only 10 forest divisions in the state have already been approved and implemented, while ‘work is under progress’ in respect of the working plans in the remaining 23 divisions, pending necessary approval from the state government.

K.P. Pathak, the standing counsel of the state Forest Department, informed the bench that among the 33 Forest Divisions, working plans in respect of 10 Forest Divisions have already been approved and implemented. However, in relation to the remaining Forest Divisions, the process is going on, and after seeking necessary approval, the plan will be implemented.

He prayed for some time to inform the HC regarding the approval and implementation of the plan in respect of the remaining 23 Forest Divisions, where, he said, the work is under progress.

Notably, the Gauhati High Court had registered a suomoto PIL against the Assam Forest Department on the basis of a media report that 23 Forest Divisions in the state do not have approved working plans. This state of affairs continues to prevail in the state despite the fact that the Supreme Court has clearly specified that all forest divisions must have working plans.

It is worth mentioning here that, in Assam, there are a total of 33 forest divisions, and 23 of these are being administered without approved working plans, some for more than 50 years since 1972. Only 10 forest divisions have approved working plans that have been implemented.

A working plan is a tool for scientific forest management. It is very useful for evaluating the status of the forest resources of a division, assessing the impact of past management practices, and deciding about suitable management interventions for the future. It is also a document that regulates food production, silviculture, and tending activities for a specific period. The working plans are prepared for 10 years for each territorial forest division on a scientific basis. The Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of each forest division must prepare the working plan for that division and get it approved, according to the media report. The bench agreed to accord more time to the Forest Department to inform the HC about the approval and implementation of the plan in the remaining divisions and listed the matter for hearing after six weeks.

 Also Read: Assam: Fresh encroachments taking place in Chirang reserve forest in Kokrajhar (sentinelassam.com)

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