Assam forest cover update

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Link: http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=jan1407\State

 

Depletion in Poba reserve forest cover

From Our Correspondent

JONAI, Jan 13 – The apathy of the State Forest Department towards

preservation of forest cover and mismanagement of the afforestation

schemes in Jonai subdivision is causing a great deal of

dissatisfaction among the conscious citizens and nature lovers here.

Indiscriminate encroachment of forest land, illegal trading on forest

wealth led to the denudation of Poba RF which is a threat to the

existence of entire southern part of Jonai subdivision including the

headquarter.

 

Taking advantage of the forest department's weak infrastructure, the

local timber smugglers and poachers have been continuing their

illicit trading unabatedly. Further extension of cultivation in the

forest area, by the nearby villagers of Leku, Jelem, Rigbi and

Bahirsilley portions is adding to the depletion of forest cover day

by day. As such, after complete destruction of Gali, Jamjing,

Sengajan RFs the denudation of the remaining part of Poba RF is

almost complete, thanks to the policies of State Government.

 

Due to rapid deforestation, during the last decade, the wildlife in

the area is in the verge of extinction. Once the diversed ecosystem

of the Poba RF with numerous streams following down from the northern

hills (Arunachal) presented a model habitat for various mammalian

species, exquisite birds and insects, reptiles and very valuable

trees including medicinal herbs.

 

The Forest department, Jonai under Dhemaji forest division, has

failed to regenerate the forest cover through implementation of

various afforestation programmes while large scale deforestation and

encroachment in Poba RF, along the border with Arunachal Pradesh is

going on unabated. Moreover, constant erosion posed by Lali river, a

tributary to the mighty Brahmaputra here is reducing a sizable forest

land every year which has not been taken care of by forest officer,

political leaders or the Central Government, despite repeated appeals

by the public.

 

Meanwhile, the leading citizens of Jonai including the

environmentalists have come down heavily on the failure of the forest

department in checking encroachment and illegal activities in the

forest. Even after repeated appeals to the authority concerned, the

State Government is keeping mum over the issue, the people alleged.

 

Allegations are rife against some forest beat officers including the

former range officer Mr VK Sinha for maintaining unholy nexus with

some illicit traders resulting in failure to check the illegal

activities. The Friends of Rural Masses (FORM), leading NGO of Jonai

has submitted a petition before the higher ups of the forest

department demanding proper protection measure to save the remaining

Forest cover in Jonai RFs by deputing adequate forest personnel and

to involve the local NGOs in the Joint Forest Management (JFM) works

for regeneration of forest cover in the area.