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Gaurav Gogoi raises concern in LS over Assam’s declining forest cover

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Guwahati, March 17: Assam MP Gaurav Gogoi, during the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha on Monday, raised concerns over the declining forest cover in Assam and sought the government’s response to the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) directive on the matter.

The Lok Sabha MP from Jorhat highlighted significant discrepancies between the draft notification, dated May 7, 2018, and the final notification, dated September 23, 2019, of the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) of Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary in Jorhat district.

He pointed out that oil and gas exploration, which was explicitly prohibited in the draft notification, was removed from the final notification despite no public objections.

Gogoi further claimed that Vedanta Ltd planned to establish oil and gas production operations under the guise of exploration, as indicated by its proposal for Early Production Units (EPUs) and Quick Production Units (QPUs).

He questioned the sudden removal of restrictions and demanded a clarification from the government.

The MP also underscored that oil and gas extraction is classified as a highly polluting industry under the Central Pollution Control Board’s Red Category List and is explicitly prohibited in ecologically fragile and protected areas.

Given this classification, he questioned how the project received clearance from the Wildlife Board and reiterated that such activities should not be permitted within the ESZ of Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary.

Referring to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023, the MP highlighted that Assam’s forest cover declined by 86.66 square kilometres between 2021 and 2023.

He further noted that the Assam Science and Technology Environmental Council confirmed a total loss of 83.92 sq km of forest and tree cover over the same period.

Expressing concern over illegal coal mining in the state, the MP pointed out that Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao witnessed the highest deforestation rates.

He questioned whether the state government was adhering to environmental guidelines and called for the formation of a central investigation team to probe the role of district forest officers in the destruction of Assam’s forests.

In response to the MP’s concerns, Union minister of state for environment, forest and climate change Kirti Vardhan Singh acknowledged the “marginal” loss of forest cover between 2021 and 2023 and assured a thorough investigation into the matter.

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