TURA: Reports of nearly 300 families from outside encroaching into the Wadagokgre Archaeological site in West Garo Hills and taking up permanent settlement has alarmed the GSMC with the committee on Thursday taking up the matter with the West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner and demanding their immediate eviction from the area.
In their complaint to the Deputy Commissioner, the committee said that the encroachers most probably belong to neighbouring Assam or Bangladesh who entered the Archaeological site in the aftermath of the recent floods which inundated the low lying areas of the plain belt areas in West Garo Hills.
“This sudden spurt of encroachment into the historical site has alarmed the indigenous local residents including Nokmas concerned and the civil society leaders. It is undeniable that hundreds if not thousands of illegal migrants have taken shelter in those areas every year in the guise of flood victims during the rainy season while enjoying the relief given by the Government of Meghalaya. But even after flood waters recede, they never left the place and settle in and around the village which is a threat to the fragile demography of the local populace and environment as well,” Chairman of the GSMC, Nikman Ch Marak said.
The committee pointed out the immediate need to detect and deport the illegal settlers back to their places of origin before they sneak into other places cautioning that delaying the same would prove more difficult for the concerned authorities to determine their origin.
The committee also felt that a proper mechanism needs to be put in place to check unabated encroachment into the historical site at Wadagokgre and the entire Bhaitbari village as a whole to prevent indiscriminate exploitation of fragile ecology in the form of excavation for brick works and stone crushing purposes without the prior Clearance /Permission from the authorities concerned.
“Hundreds of these migrants may be engaged in those work places as cheap labourers. Such illegal activities have become a regular affair in the entire region which needs to be done away with to ensure future existence of the indigenous tribal people and the conservation of environment and historical sites as well,” the committee said.