By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 22: UDP legislator from Nongpoh, Mayralborn Syiem on Wednesday expressed deep concern over the state’s depleting forest cover and urged the government to curb the illegal felling of trees, unregulated unscientific mining and illegal transportation of charcoal and collection of taxes.
Moving the call attention, Syiem said his intention to bring the matter to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma’s notice was to highlight the core agenda of environment.
He said although the state is governed by several Acts and legislations of the environment to keep a check on all illegal activities, yet there is contamination and silting of water bodies caused by unregulated unscientific mining, forest clearing and the unsustainable cycle of Jhum, leading to loss of natural forest which is a serious concern for Meghalaya.
He said 40% of the water bodies in the Jaintia Hills region have been polluted. He said he is not against any firm or individual but insisted that everything done has to be within the limit.
The UDP legislator stressed that the supply of timber for charcoal without challans and the collection of the illegal taxes should be checked. Further, he urged the state government, forest department, police and the district council to check the rampant destruction of forests.
“The earth provides enough to satisfy everyone’s need but not everyone’s greed,” he said.
In his reply, the Chief Minister said, “The government is serious about checking and effectively containing illegal transportation of charcoal. For this purpose, the government notified Meghalaya Charcoal (Control of Production, Storage, Trade and Transport) Rules, 2008 which was further amended in 2019.” He said the Rules, notified in exercise of the powers conferred under Meghalaya Forest Regulation, 1973, regulate production, stocking, sale, purchase, import and export of charcoal.
“Under these Rules, the producers and stockists of charcoal are required to apply for registration to the Divisional Forest Officer concerned and renewal of such registration could be done after a period of one year with the prior approval of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests,” Sangma said.
He said in the event of the contravention of these Rules, the licence of the registered producer or stockist is liable to cancellation. He said the registered producers or stockists are required to maintain correct and true records in respect of production, receipt, disposal and trade of charcoal.
According to him, the entire procedure of production, storage, transport, export, import and sale of charcoal is strictly regulated along with punitive provisions.
The CM said the state government had amended Meghalaya Forest Regulation, 1973 by enacting Meghalaya Forest Regulation (Amendment) Act, 2021 with the intention to penalise offences of this nature involving illegal transport of forest produce.
“Meghalaya Forest Regulation, 1973 is an adapted version of Assam Forest Regulation, 1891 and had largely remained non-amended ever since. Section 41 of the Meghalaya Forest Regulation, 1973 prescribes penalties for illegal transport of forest produce, which also includes charcoal,” Sangma said.
Stating that the amended Meghalaya Forest Regulation also provides for confiscation of illegal forest produce which also includes illegally manufactured or transported charcoal, he said, “Thus, it may kindly be appreciated that the government is aware of the issue of illegal production and transport of charcoal and has been leaving no stone unturned to prevent the same.”
He said several proactive measures are being undertaken by way of constituting patrolling teams of forest staff to detect illegal transport of charcoal, drawing offence reports, prosecuting the violators in the competent courts of law and seizing illegally transported or illegally stocked charcoal.
Giving out figures, he said 23 cases were filed in the court of law in Ri-Bhoi and West Khasi Hills districts during the last five years for illegal transport and production or storage of charcoal while 13 cases were filed in West Khasi Hills District in 2022 for illegal production of charcoal.
Further, 95 metric tonnes of charcoal were seized during the last five years and Rs 2.6 lakh was realized as compounding fees, Sangma informed the members.
“Recently, the DFO, Nongstoin attempted to control illegal production and transport of charcoal by requesting the District Magistrate to promulgate Section 144 CrPC in West Khasi Hills District. The West Khasi Hills Forest Division has also conducted awareness camps in the villages besides use of social media to spread the message on the importance of conservation of our forest resources,” the CM added.