In a letter to the divisional forest officer (territorial), West Garo Hills, the students’ union secretary in charge of forest affairs, Brucelee Marak, today said rampant felling and the state forest department’s lack of initiative to check the trend had become a cause of concern.
The authorities turned a blind eye to timber smuggling despite several reminders, the students’ union alleged.
Stressing the importance of a clean environment as essential to improve the quality of life, Marak said: “The air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat should be free of pollution and contaminants.”
In violation of a Supreme Court order banning felling and smuggling of timber from the reserve forests and private lands, chopping off trees and timber smuggling is the order of the day in the Garo hills, Marak alleged.
The union urged the forest department to look into the matter with seriousness and take measures to stop felling by some vested interests. “We want to live undisturbed by unhealthy atmosphere and enjoy the beauty of the region, unspoiled coastlines and the mountain areas. We also want a Garo hills that is not threatened by climate change,” Marak said.
Bangla intrusion
The border residents at Dawki expressed concern over the intrusion of a large number of Bangladeshis, who crossed over by boats on the Umngot river in Dawki, accompanied by the Border Guard of Bangladesh (BGB), in the last two days.