Assam: 100 trees illegally cut down in Bajali district

A Correspondent

PATHSALA: At a time when global warming is posing a serious threat to the environment across the world, a group of people have illegally cut more than 100 trees in the Bichan Kuchi area near the Kaldiya River in Assam’s Bajali district.

According to sources, field officer of district disaster management authority Sankar Nath witnessed a few miscreants illegally cutting down the trees in the area and informed forest officials immediately.

However, the miscreants, said to be wearing masks, managed to flee from the spot with their tractors and carry away the tree-cutting machinery before the forest officials could nab them.

Speaking to this correspondent, Sankar Nath said, “The temperature is increasing day by day, and here we see that more than 100 trees were cut down without any permission from the officials. This poses a threat to the environment.”

“The Assam government is taking various steps to control global warming, and such kinds of illegal activities are harmful for future generations. I have urged the higher officials to take action against the people involved in the case,” he added.

Last year in November, local people have raised concerns regarding the cutting of a large number of valuable trees in the Digboi town of the state of Assam.

They also questioned the actions and motives of the state government who first aimed to set the world record for sapling plantation and then allowed the indiscriminate felling of valuable trees in the state.

The incident took place in Digboi where a large number of trees were cut down in the Upper Dihing Forest of the Dhekiyajan locality of Digboi Town. Although the forest department has placed notices warning people not to cut trees, the same has not been followed by them.

According to local sources, this notable number of trees have been cut down by the forest department itself to use the stems as pillars for border fences.

Local people have questioned the need to cut down trees for such purposes as this action not only leads to a reduction in the number of trees, but also the fences erected in such a manner have very low longevity.

They also added that concrete pillars should have been used in places of these trees and blamed the local officials for the forest department for this activity

Also Read: India's Tree Loss In Two Decades Hits Assam Hardest: Reports (sentinelassam.com)

 Also Watch: