Jorhat, May 11 (The Telegraph): The conservator of forests, eastern Assam circle, Sushant Nayak, has ordered an inquiry into allegations by the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad that Nagaland is planning to set up a subdivision on encroached forestland inside the state. Nayak said encroachment of forests along the Assam-Nagaland border was nothing new and that he had asked the Jorhat district forest officer N.K. Malakar to conduct an inquiry into the matter.
Malakar said there was largescale encroachment in all the three reserve forests along the Assam-Nagaland border — Dessoi Valley, Dessoi and Tiru Hills — since 1956 and that he had asked the Mariani range officer under whom the Dissoi valley forest reserve fell, to submit a report on the allegations. The Jorhat unit of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad said largescale encroachment was rampant in the Dessoi Valley reserve forest.
Nagaland was planning to create a subdivision along the border. A memorandum has been submitted to the Jorhat deputy commissioner R.C. Jain and conservator, eastern Assam circle. Jorhat district committee president Siba Kalita alleged that unabated encroachment by Nagaland had led to severe depletion of forestland and that unless this was stopped there would be an ecological disaster. “Tea has been cultivated on more than 100 bigha of the reserve forest, two villages have come up, a petrol pump and a school has been set up and now we have come to know that plans are afoot to create a subdivision on Assam soil here,” Kalita said.
The youth organisation said they were in the process of gathering foolproof evidence of Nagaland’s plans and warned that if the state government did not do anything to stop the encroachment it would be forced to take things into its own hands.
Data from the forest department reveals that all three reserve forests in Jorhat district are heavily encroached and have become half or less than half of the area once covered. The original area of the Dissoi reserve forest was 2,797.148 hectares and the encroached area is 1,532.34 hectares with one village.
The original area of Dessoi Valley reserve forest was 16,381.446 hectares, encroached area is 13,322.14 hectares and 14 villages have been set up, the original area of Tiru Hills reserve forest was 5,858.552 hectares, encroached area 4,829.15 hectares and three villages have been established. A forest official said as soon as they receive information of new encroachment, they take immediate action to demolish the new settlements. “Unless the government backs us we cannot take any steps as it could create a major law and order problem,” he said.
Malakar said there was largescale encroachment in all the three reserve forests along the Assam-Nagaland border — Dessoi Valley, Dessoi and Tiru Hills — since 1956 and that he had asked the Mariani range officer under whom the Dissoi valley forest reserve fell, to submit a report on the allegations. The Jorhat unit of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad said largescale encroachment was rampant in the Dessoi Valley reserve forest.
Nagaland was planning to create a subdivision along the border. A memorandum has been submitted to the Jorhat deputy commissioner R.C. Jain and conservator, eastern Assam circle. Jorhat district committee president Siba Kalita alleged that unabated encroachment by Nagaland had led to severe depletion of forestland and that unless this was stopped there would be an ecological disaster. “Tea has been cultivated on more than 100 bigha of the reserve forest, two villages have come up, a petrol pump and a school has been set up and now we have come to know that plans are afoot to create a subdivision on Assam soil here,” Kalita said.
The youth organisation said they were in the process of gathering foolproof evidence of Nagaland’s plans and warned that if the state government did not do anything to stop the encroachment it would be forced to take things into its own hands.
Data from the forest department reveals that all three reserve forests in Jorhat district are heavily encroached and have become half or less than half of the area once covered. The original area of the Dissoi reserve forest was 2,797.148 hectares and the encroached area is 1,532.34 hectares with one village.
The original area of Dessoi Valley reserve forest was 16,381.446 hectares, encroached area is 13,322.14 hectares and 14 villages have been set up, the original area of Tiru Hills reserve forest was 5,858.552 hectares, encroached area 4,829.15 hectares and three villages have been established. A forest official said as soon as they receive information of new encroachment, they take immediate action to demolish the new settlements. “Unless the government backs us we cannot take any steps as it could create a major law and order problem,” he said.
