TURA: Alarmed by the rampant destruction of forests of Tura Peak Reserve and deteriorating water supply from Rongkhon and Dakop, the Area Development Committees of Bakading, Babupara, Akonggre and Nikrang A’ding held a joint meeting recently at Assamese LGB Secondary School in Babupara, Tura, to chalk out strategies to prevent the rampant felling of trees and further extraction of sand and stone from the two water sources.
The streams are the main source of drinking water to the localities of Balading, Babupara, Akonggre, Ringregittim, Forestilla, Upper Chandmary, Derangittim, Spring Hills, Tura Bazaar, Boldak A’ding, Darengre and Dobasipara localities.
During the meeting the development committees expressed the difficulties they were all facing due to the deteriorating water supply and pointed out that the framing of bye-laws to prevent the destruction of forests, sand and stone mining was not working without the backing of combined efforts from the government and the neighbouring localities.
Meeting Convenor, E. Ch. Marak informed all present that illegal timber smugglers after exhausting forests from the
Boldorenggre outskirts and Dagal Stream adjoining Tura Peak were now eyeing the Tura Forest reserve overlooking Tura Town and had even started smuggling forest trees from the Dakop and Rongkhon streams.
Expressing anxiety that in no time the green forest necessary to retain water would be made barren if concerted timely action is not initiated by residents of all localities, he urged upon all members present to find a collective solution to immediately halt the rapid destruction by adopting preventive measures in coordination with the Forest Department and other NGOs.
In this regard the meeting resolved that the Executive Committee meeting of all the 12 Area Development Committees would be called after the Lok Sabha Elections, that the water source of Tura Peak would be jointly inspected by four localities prior to holding of the executive committee meeting in coordination with the Forest Department officials and that the four area Development Committees would urge self help groups in their respective localities to hold awareness programmes emphasizing on the need to protect the forest in Tura Peak as well as stress on the need to protect water sources including various measures either with the assistance of Government Departments and other likeminded NGOs.