STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court has asked the Assam Chief Secretary, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF), Chief Manager of NF Railway, Goalpara DC and the Golapara DFO to file an affidavit soon on the wanton destruction of reserve forests (RF) and negligence by NF Railway, both leading to the death of elephants in the state.
The expansion of the National Highway in the Goalpara district led to wanton felling of Sal, Segun, Gamari etc.
In a letter to the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, wildlife activist Pranab Jyoti Sarma said with statistics that the destruction of reserve forests was rampant in the name of expansion of the national highway in the Goalpara district. He said that the shrinkage of the forest cover made the elephants frequent the nearby villages, kill people and destroy property. The negligence of NF Railway led to the killing of many elephants, Sarma wrote in his letter.
The Chief Justice took serious note of the letter and treated it as a PIL. The High Court registered a case based on the letter. The court instructed all the respondents to file their respective affidavits on the rampant destruction of forest cover and the death of elephants when hit by trains.
Goalpara DFO admitted to having received a directive from the Gauhati High Court. He said the department would consult the matter with the government and file the affidavit.
According to sources, the felling of trees in reserve forest areas is rampant in Hojai, Doboka, Chhaygaon, Kamrup etc. The expansion of the national highway-37 from Nagaon to Dibrugarh has also led to the felling of thousands of trees.
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