GUWAHATI, June 8: The Assam Forest Department has intensified operations against illegal felling of trees and timber trade, seizing sal logs in Goalpara and Barpeta districts, official sources informed on Tuesday.
Forest personnel of Dhupdhara Beat under Rongjuli range in western Assam’s Goalpara district detected and seized a Mahindra DI vehicle loaded with several sal logs in the Ambari Khekapara area around 2am on Monday.
Several sal logs, the market worth of which have not been disclosed, were seized in the operation led by forest range officer, Rongjuli range, Salim Ahmed.
In yet another operation, six matured sal logs were recovered in the Zabrimari area under Kalgachia Police Station in Barpeta district on Tuesday.
The operation was conducted by forest range officer, Goutam Mahanta, Barpeta Road Range and his personnel.
Egrets rescued
Meanwhile, 38 captured egrets from Dora Beel under Kukurmara Beat Office, Kulsi Range have been rescued and released back into the wild on Monday after state environment and forest minister, Parimal Suklabaidya took up the matter with chief conservator of forest, Hemkanta Talukdar and asked him to take immediate action.
On being inquired into, the DFO, Kamrup (West), Ranjit Konwar informed that residents saw two boys capturing egrets from Dora Beel on Monday and caught them red-handed and handed them over to the police.
The police then handed over the two boys with the 38 egrets to Kukurmara Beat.
“As the boys are minors, the parents were summoned and after taking undertaking and statements, the boys were handed over to their parents,” the DFO stated.