Phulbari: Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) of Tikrikilla region along with the Range Forest officials of Hollaidanga in West Garo Hills (WGH) worked in tandem on Monday to help seize an illegal sawmill in the plain belt region.
The illegal sawmill was seized following the Phulbari GHADC Range‘s efforts to put a stop to the rampant illegal felling of trees for timber. As per reports, hundreds of illegal sawmills have sprouted in the region, defying all efforts to stop the illegal timber trade.
The raid was led by the state forest team of the territorial range along with CEPARD, NGCO, AAPE, ACHIK and FAF, which worked together on the matter.
The NGOs had earlier pointed to more than 10 such illegally operating saw mills in the Hollaidanga area, under Tikrikilla police station.
Sources said that there could be at least another 50 such illegal operators in the Tikrikilla region, along with double the number in the Phulbari area.
From low-lying hills of the plain belt, the illegal timber reaches these sawmills, which belong to people of the region and neighbouring Assam.
“This is a menace that needs to be stopped with immediate effect due to the danger it poses to the environment and to the water table. We have seen how water has become a scarce resource even in places which previously had abundant water. Unless we make efforts to stop these illegal acts, our region will soon become bone-dry in the years to come,” informed Gloringstone Marak, the CEPARD president.
Sources revealed that the illegal sawmill dismantled on Monday belonged to a person identified as Mohibul of Jugirjhar.
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During the raid, the team witnessed the extent of damage caused to the environment by such mills. Within the premises of the sawmill, hundreds of logs were lying around – most of which were not even mature trees.
The seized materials were later brought to the Range office at Hollaidanga.
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