SHILLONG: The chairman of the State Programme Implementation and Monitoring Committee, Saleng Sangma has questioned the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the State Government for not taking enough measures to preserve and promote the flora and fauna of the state.
Speaking to media persons here on Tuesday, Saleng Sangma who is also the NCP State president, said that the NGT should concentrate more on deforestation and other related sectors in the state rather than focusing only coal mining.
“Everybody is after mining. What is making people so interested about mining?” he questioned
Citing an example of Mawsynram and Sohra which once received highest rainfall, he lamented that these two places were now becoming dry due to random cutting and slaughtering of trees.
The statement came from Saleng Sangma as the recent Indian State of Forest Report 2019 has revealed that India’s forest cover is rising but unfortunately, the forest cover in the northeast including Meghalaya is on decline.
The India State of Forest Report, 2019 released in December, had said that Meghalaya has 17,119 sq km of forest and it has declined by 27 sq km since 2017 when the report was released last.
The forest cover in the North East marked a decline of 765 sq km compared to 2017.
Asking the NGT to intervene into the matters of protecting environment and stopping the cutting of forests in the state, Sangma said that is hightime that the NGT as well as the State Government should intervene and take measures to stop the cutting of trees which would certainly affect the human beings.
“Is the NGT afraid or they too have vested interest in mining and why they have no interest in plants and trees,” he said.
He also said that the State Government as well needs to do much more as far as protecting the environment and greenery of the state.
“In middle east, people are planting tree saplings in deserts whereas we just have to preserve the forests but we are not being able to do so,” he added.