Kaziranga-- Massive Quarrying, tree felling.

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The Assam Tribune, Guwahati, 13th July 2006. ( www.assamtribune.com )

 

Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong elephant corridor Massive quarrying, tree

cutting alleged

From Our Correspondent

DERGAON, July 12 – " It is a fact that the whole world is now busy

with conservation of environment while the Forest department of the

State is reluctant in the matter. With the help of the some forest

personnel, illegal deeds are going on in the forests of the State.

The top officers have no dedication to the conservation of the

nature. The massive blasting at the stone quarries in Kaziranga

Karbi-Anglong elephant corridors proves the inactiveness of the

department, " said Soumyadeep Dutta, director of Nature's Backon in

the Green Broadcasting programme through AIR Dibrugarh recently.

 

According to information, the Karbi Anglong District Council has

allowed to extract stone from four quarries namely Diring

(Thanglong), Bagari, Geleki, Kuthari and Harmoti. The council

however made an agreement with the contractors so that they must

never harm the animals directly. But in fact the contractors have

already set up several quarries and are continuing the blasting

which have affected the wild animals, specially the elephants. It is

pertinent to mention that the wild animals take shelter on the Karbi

Anglong hills during flood. And that is why the government declared

the Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong area as the fourth elephant resource in

the State. But at present the blastings cause harm to the animals.

 

On the other hand, large scale cutting of different valuable trees

in Begun jungle in Karbi Anglong district under Kohora soil

conservation division is going on. The jungle was rich in several

valuable trees like Segun, Gamari etc. But at present the dishonest

timber merchants are busy in their illegal business unhindered and

transporting the timbers in the form of furnitures. And these

furnitures are taking position in the drawing room of several higher

forest officials. This has been alleged by the local people of

Kaziranga. The racket of such timber business is under the control

of one `Agaru' trader of Hojai. The nature lovers have demanded

immediate stopping of such quarries and cutting trees.