TURA: Illegal felling of trees from inside the reserve forests in Garo Hills continues to take place despite ‘vigil’ by forest department personnel.
This week, wanton felling of young sal and teak trees were found to have taken place inside the Rongjeng reserve forest of East Garo Hills.
The felling was discovered when a cowherd went into the forest to bring back his cow that had been left tied to a tree to graze. To his shock he found that the young tree had been felled and it had fallen on his cow leading to its death.
Locals allege that the place where the felling took place is barely 5 kms from the forest beat office and a sub-beat office inside the reserve has allegedly been lying unused for years altogether.
The illegal felling is reportedly being done by unscrupulous locals with support from smugglers in neighbouring Assam who purchase the illegal consignment.
“Timber is being smuggled right under the nose of the authorities because they are using the same road every other commuter uses. How is this possible unless money is changing hands for its smooth passage?” questioned local NGO leader from Rongjeng Mukesh M Sangma while speaking to media persons.
Concerned citizens also revealed that an illegal sawmill has recently been set up in nearby Mangsang village ostensibly to target the little remaining forest cover inside Rongjeng reserve forest.
The role of some forest staff in this timber racket has not been ruled out and citizens are demanding that those manning the forest must be taken to task if felling is taking place under their ‘watchful’ eyes.
