Crackdown on saw mills in Garo Hills; task force attacked

TURA: A special task force, comprising forest department officials and police, was attacked when they went to raid an illegal saw mill at Nalbari in North Garo Hills on Friday.
Cases have been registered at Mendipathar police station, which covers Nalbari, against the attackers and the saw mill operators.
The task force raided several illegal saw mills in Resubelapara, Mendipathar and Bajengdoba. Police said the mill owners were tipped off and they tried to hide machines in orchards and residential areas. But a thorough search led the team to the equipment.
The district shares a long border with Assam and has a high number of illegal mills. After the raid, six saw mills — one each in Resubelpara and Bajengdoba and four in Mendipathar — were sealed.
Meghalaya’s forest cover has been greatly reduced in view of the continuing acts of deforestation by miscreants. While Garo Hills has been severely affected by these illegal acts, West Khasi Hills has lost much of its green cover due to rampant tree felling.
Local sources from West Khasi Hills have confirmed that about 200 timber trucks are moving into neighbouring Assam from the district every night.