Joint meeting with Assam soon to check illegal timber logging: Mama Natung

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh Environment & Forest Minister Mama Natung on Tuesday informed that his department will soon convene a joint meeting with Assam forest officials for evolving a mechanism to check rampant illegal felling of trees by timber mafias.

Responding to a zero hour discussion, brought in the assembly by senior Congress member Wanglin Lowangdong, Natung informed that the department had already registered several cases of illegal timber logging and actions were taken against the timber mafias. "Government alone cannot stop the menace. People should cooperate by remaining vigilant on such activities," he said and added that during 2017-18, the state forest department along with Assam officials in joint operations seized more than 800 logs from various places.

Stating that Arunachal has 83,743 square kilometers of forest area accounting to 80 per cent of the total geographical area, Natung informed that the state is a major supplier of oxygen to the world due to its vast forest resources. "Arunachal Pradesh is the 12th bio-diversity hotspot in the world," he added.

The minister further informed that the government had temporarily suspended eight wood-based industries for alleged involvement in illegal timber trading and also monitoring other such industries in the state. Natung urged the members to create awareness among the people of their respective constituencies to surrender air guns and guns voluntarily besides chain shaw machines to preserve forest and wildlife.

Air gun ceremony, a brain child of Natung, has paid dividend in wildlife conservation effort, as 1,679 air-guns, 9 licensed guns and 13 power chainsaw machines, 5 handsaws and 13 fishing equipments have been surrendered by the people of the state so far. Earlier, initiating the discussion on illegal felling of trees in Deomali forest division under Tirap district, Lowangdong informed that the state lost 2,220 hectares of plantation till 2020 due to illegal timber trading.

"The forest department during 2021-22 seized 1,022 logs worth Rs 50.17 lakh from Deomali forest division alone," Lowangdong revealed and added that on several occasions exchange of fire were being reported between timber mafias and personnel of Forest Protection Force near the Assam-Arunachal boundary in the district, which, he said, might invite future repercussion.

The Congress MLA suggested the government to fill all the vacant post in the forest department, recruitment of retired police personnel for forest security and introduce GPS fitted trucks for timber operations to check illegal timber trade in the state. "Checking on timber mills and plywood factories should be done on regular basis," Lowangdong added.

Also read:   Arunachal Minister Mama Natung stresses on eco conservation

Also Watch: