SHILLONG, July 11: Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), Titosstarwell Chyne, on Thursday aired concern over the depletion of the Council’s plantations, attributing the decline primarily to illegal tree felling.
During the Question Hour of the ongoing Summer Session of the KHADC, Chyne highlighted that the Council oversees 13 plantations covering 3,300.53 hectares of forest land.
Recalling his visit to the plantation at Athiabari in West Khasi Hills when he was first elected as an MDC, Chyne noted that the vast plantation, which once took a whole day to explore, now has no trees left due to rampant illegal tree felling.
“It is really sad,” Chyne remarked.
Chyne pointed out that the only plantation where trees remain intact is in Lum Sohpetbneng in Ri-Bhoi district.
“Maybe people do not dare to cut the trees at Lum Sohpetbneng since it is a sacred place,” the LoP said.
He then went on to question the status of trees in the plantation at Lailad in Ri-Bhoi.
In response, Executive Member (EM) in charge of the Forest department, Macdalyn S. Mawlong, informed that KHADC staff are still deployed at various plantations for patrolling to prevent illegal tree felling.
She then informed that trees are still present at the Lailad plantation, covering 226 acres.
“We are taking up tree plantation programmes in various plantations. We are implementing a community-based forest management and livelihood programme funded by Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA),” she said.
Mawlong added that the KHADC is undertaking tree plantation programmes in various areas and implementing a community-based forest management and livelihood programme, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
According to her, the JICA has provided more than Rs 17 lakh in funding across three phases for planting various tree species.
Meanwhile, replying to a question from Mawkynrew HSPDP MDC Martle N. Mukhim, Mawlong disclosed that the revenue collected from major and minor forest produce was Rs 1.27 crore in 2022-2023 and Rs 1.93 crore in 2023-2024.