From Our Correspondent
BAGHMARA: Garo Hills Anti-Mining and Conservation Forum (GHAMCF) in collaboration with GSU-Southern Zone and Moheshkhola Regional Unit organized an evironmental awareness program on the topic “Protection of Forests and Livelihood Security” in Moheshkhola Play Ground recently.
The ecologically sensitive Moheshkhola area which borders Balpakram National Park is under serious threat from proposed illegal mining for coal and limestone. This program was targeted at creating the necessary awareness among the local community to safeguard their forests and environment from these destructive activities.
Secretary GHAMCF, Ginseng D. Sangma emphasized that we need to safeguard forests for our own future livelihood security, every individual can play a vital role in this regard by joining their hands with others to carry out forest protection activities such as keeping village reserves, protecting catchment areas, regulating the use of forest in a sustainable ways, improving forests through plantation and preventing illegal forest destructive activities.
Chief Monitoring Secretary, GHAMCF, Adinson Ch. Momin pointed out the tremendous negative impacts of illegal coal mining on the environment, human health, and social life. The gathering comprised people from neighboring areas, key community members like Nokma, chra, teachers, students, church members and others. Participation of Church Youth and their colorful cultural performances which included environmental songs and dances provided entertainment while at the same time sending home a pertinent environmental message regarding the need to safeguard out precious natural gifts. The organizers also distributed pamphlets with information on the rich forests and nature of the region, the strong cultural, religious and social links between the Garo’s and their forests and an appeal to safeguard these invaluable forests from destructive activities like illegal mining.
It is learnt that a handful of individual from Rongara and neighbouring akings along with few traders from Jaintia Hills are insisting for opening up of the Wakso Abri (hillock) for coal mining without majority consensus.
Forests of the Abri shares boundary with the Balpakram National Park which is home to different species of wildlife including Asian Elephant and it is catchment of many streams and Maheshkola River which is lifeline of Rangtangsora Aking.
Unregulated and haphazard mining at the edge of the park not only cause menace to the wildlife but also human through destroying water sources, forests and its produces, increasing of man-animal conflicts through destruction of habitat and welcoming other social evils.