Aizawl: A recent meeting between top officials from Mizoram’s Mamit district and Assam’s Hailakandi district was held in a bid to ease renewed tensions along the inter-state boundary. The meeting followed allegations that forest personnel from Assam had crossed into Mizoram territory and damaged a rubber plantation.
According to reports, on August 15, a group of police and forest officers from Assam allegedly entered the area surrounding Saikhawthlir village in Mamit and destroyed nearly 290 rubber plants. The site is part of a government-backed plantation project under Mizoram’s Land Resources, Soil and Water Conservation Department, aligned with the Chief Minister’s Rubber Mission.
During the meeting, held near Bairabi, Mamit Deputy Commissioner K. Laltlawmlova reportedly informed Assam counterparts that the disputed area lies within Mizoram’s Kawrthah Forest Division and is clearly marked on official maps prepared by the state’s environment department. He maintained that local residents have traditional rights to use the reserved forest land for cultivation.
In response, Hailakandi DC Abhishek Jain claimed the incident was not a boundary violation but a matter of forest law enforcement. He argued that the area falls under Assam’s Inner Line Reserve Forest within the Gharmura range, where planting activities are restricted under the Forest (Conservation) Act of 1980. Jain cautioned that any plantation work conducted within 1.5 km of Assam’s territory could potentially breach environmental regulations and attract the attention of central authorities such as the National Green Tribunal.
While the two sides agreed to avoid further escalation and maintain peace along the boundary, the matter has now been escalated to higher authorities for further examination. Both administrations acknowledged the need for improved coordination to prevent such disputes in the future.
Mamit is one of three districts in Mizoram, along with Aizawl and Kolasib, that share a 164.6-kilometre border with Assam’s Cachar, Hailakandi, and Karimganj districts.
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