ITANAGAR, 16 Feb: The All Papum Pare District Students’ Union (APPDSU) said that different groups of land mafias with the intention of grabbing lands adjacent to the Greenfield Airport in Hollongi have made encroachment of vast areas of forest lands falling under Durpang Reserve Forest Areas (DRFA).
The illegal activities are reportedly going on under different banners without any check, even though various public notification and orders were issued by the Papum Pare district administration, prohibiting such illegal activities inside the DRFA in view of the under-construction airport.
“These public notification and orders remained only in papers and records without implementation on the ground, which has encouraged these land mafias to operate illegal activities inside the DRFA without any fear,” the APPDSU said in a memorandum to the environment and forest minister, while demanding the arrest of the land mafias.
The union said the land mafias have destroyed the ancestral community village forests of Hollongi and Kokila Panchayat.
In the memorandum, the union informed the minister that the land mafias have constructed unsanctioned roads inside the DRFA, destroying hills and forests by felling trees and diverting natural flow of streams to establish unsanctioned villages.
“These activities are threatening the life and security of the native people of Hollongi and Kokila Panchayat, who are opposing the illegal activities to protect the DFRA and their ancestral community village forest lands,” it said.
The APPDSU demanded that the minister issue necessary direction for identification and immediate arrest of the land mafias responsible for destruction of the DRFA and for disturbing the peace in the area to avoid any untoward incidents in the future.
