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Dehing Patkai: CM directs Forest Min to visit wildlife sanctuary after opposition

Dehing Patkai: CM directs Forest Min to visit wildlife sanctuary after opposition

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Assam Congress objects to draft EIA, writes to Environment Ministry Assam Congress objects to draft EIA, writes to Environment Ministry

In view of the reported public opposition appeared on a section of media

Also read: Dehing Patkai: What led to the end game?

Meanwhile, the Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly, Mr. Debabrata Saikia on Wednesday criticised the decision of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) to allow coal mining in new areas of the Dehing Patkai rainforest in Assam. Mr.Saikia stated that Dehing Patkai is the largest tropical rainforest in India. It has over 40 species of fauna including elephants, several varieties of big cats, bears and the famous Assam Macaque, over 300 species of birds, over 40 species of reptiles, over 60 types of trees and over 100 varieties of orchids. It is, therefore, primarily the Government’s duty to protect this rainforest to

Mr. Saikia stated that reports are rife about a cartel carrying out illegal mining activity in the Dehing Patkai rainforest under the patronage of the ruling regime. Now that the NBWL has taken this controversial decision in undue haste during the nationwide lockdown, fears have also naturally arisen that this illegal group will use the activities of Coal India Limited as a smokescreen for illegal mining and transportation of coal. In view of the justified misgivings expressed by a section of conscious citizens as well as students’ organizations, the NBWL should reconsider the decision to open the Saleki elephant corridor for mining activity.

Following the decision by National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), the environmentalists, civil societies, and student communities have vehemently opposed the approval of a coal mining project in the Saleki Proposed Reserve Forest (PRF). The NBWL is under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the meeting was chaired by Union Minister Prakash Javedekar. The NBWL’s standing committee had discussed the proposal for use of 98.59 hectares of land of Saleki, which is a part of the Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve.

The Dehing Patkai is located in the Dibrugarh and Tinsukia Districts of Assam, which covers an area of 111.19 km2 (42.93 sq mi) rainforest. The tropical wet evergreen forest consists of three parts: Jeypore, upper Dihing River, and Dirok rainforest. The rainforest stretches for more than 575 km2 (222 sq mi) in the districts of Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, and Sivasagar.

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Edited By: Admin
Published On: May 20, 2020