[ Chukhu Indu ]
ITANAGAR, 7 Feb: Officials of the Banderdewa forest division on Monday stopped the contractor for the Nirjuli-Banderdewa (Package C) road, M/s ARSS Infrastructure Project Ltd, from clearing trees near the highway near the Banderdewa bridge point. This has effectively brought the work to a halt.
“Eight fully-grown large trees beside NH 415 in Drupong reserve forest have been illegally felled/uprooted by the contractors of NH 415 Package C, M/s ARSS Infrastructure Project Ltd near Banderdewa forest range office on 7 February, 2022, using excavator machinery in presence of Banderdewa Circle Officer Ritu Tawe and Naharlagun PWD Highway AE Debia Takam in gross violations of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and the Assam Forest Regulation, 1891,” Banderdewa Divisional Forest Officer (in-charge) Chukhu Loma stated in a release.
This is the third time that forest officials had to disrupt the road construction work owing to felling of trees.
When contacted, Banderdewa Forest Division Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) Mito Rumi informed that “the National Board for Wildlife has objected to the forest clearance, following which the forest department has written repeatedly to the PWD chief engineer and executive engineer for the same.”
The ACF said that another important issue is the ongoing case in the National Green Tribunal in Kolkata.
When asked, ICR DC Talo Potom stated that “the government of India has already issued a letter earlier, citing that one does not need to obtain a forest clearance certificate under the Forest Conservation Act after 1980, whereas the concerned national highway stretch is constructed before the 1960s.”
Potom had in an order issued on 3 February mentioned that “some public are obstructing the highway construction as per the complaints made by the constructing agency.” When asked about it, the DC was not very specific but said that the ‘public’ he had referred to “can be anybody, be it the forest department, which is seen disrupting the progress of the work.”
The DC referred to the meeting he had held on 22 December last year with the PCCF, the DFO, the PWD commissioner and other officials, during which, he said, PCCF RK Singh had “verbally agreed for the forest clearance.”
“However, he (Singh) requested not to put out the minutes of the meeting in written,” the DC added.
