GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has requested Union Environment Ministry to reconsider its decision to halt construction of a commando battalion unit within protected forest area. In a letter to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. Sarma urged the ministry to grant post facto clearance for project. He argued that stopping construction to protect a small area undermines broader forest conservation efforts.
Sarma highlighted that drone imagery reveals extensive illegal construction activities. Including roads bridges and settlements by encroachers from Mizoram, within over 3000 hectares of reserve forests. He pointed out that more than 2,000 hectares of forest within Inner Line Reserve Forest (ILRF) have been cleared between 2018 and 2022 with significant tree felling. There are reports of Rohingya settlements exacerbating the situation.
The Chief Minister underscored security concerns arising from these encroachments. He referenced a violent incident on July 26 2021. In that event, Assam police faced unprovoked firing from miscreants on the Mizoram side. This resulted in casualties among Assam police personnel. Sarma argued that construction of the commando camp is essential for forest protection and national security.
The Assam government had previously halted construction project following directive from Union Environment Ministry. The ministry found project violated Forest (Conservation) Act. This action was taken after National Green Tribunal took suo motu cognizance based on news report alleging illegal clearance of forest for battalion.
Investigations by Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) revealed project involved large-scale permanent structures. This was contrary to claims of temporary setups for forest protection. The ministry’s counter-affidavit to NGT detailed environmental damage. This included clearing of 11.5 hectares of vegetation. It also highlighted the presence of a stone crushing unit. Concerns were raised about water pollution and habitat destruction.
Despite these findings, Sarma maintained that the commando camp is crucial. This is to counter ongoing illegal activities and protect the forest effectively. He requested Union Minister's intervention to resume construction. He emphasized that forest's protection is intertwined with addressing national security challenges posed by encroachments.
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