Exciting Boost for Assam Police: Central Approval for Forest Land Diversion Brings New Commandos to Guwahati!
Forest Committee Approves Land for Assam Police Camp to Protect Forests from Encroachment
Guwahati: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s Forest Advisory Committee has given in-principle approval for the diversion of 28 hectares of reserve forest land for a new Assam Police commando battalion camp at the Assam-Nagaland interstate border in the Geleky Reserve Forest, Sivasagar district. The decision, made on August 27, follows recommendations from the state government, the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), and the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Sivasagar.
The proposal, seeking central approval under the “Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980,” underscores the urgency and necessity of the camp for forest conservation. According to the state government’s submission, Geleky Reserve Forest has already lost about 60% of its area to Nagaland due to rampant encroachment. Further, the Golaghat and Jorhat divisions have similarly faced significant losses of their forest areas.
The Additional PCCF emphasized the essential role of deploying armed forces to resist further encroachment. In his recommendation, he stated that establishing the commando battalion camp is crucial for forest protection. Similarly, the DFO’s recommendation highlighted the critical situation of ongoing encroachment, risking the loss of remaining forest wealth. To combat this, the DFO advocated for the establishment of strategic battalion camps to prevent further occupation and destruction of forest resources.
In recent related issues, over 3,683 acres of forest land in Haveri district have been encroached upon, with insufficient action taken by the authorities. The Amazon rainforest has also faced severe deforestation, losing an area the size of Germany and France, severely affecting global climate conditions. Meanwhile, in Goa, the state government defended its decision to exclude certain survey numbers from the private forest category, a move now being contested in the Supreme Court.
This approval for the Assam camp marks a strategic move to protect vital forest lands from encroachment, ensuring sustainable efforts in forest conservation.
Original Story https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/diversion-of-forest-land-for-assam-police-commando-bn-camp-gets-centres-nod/articleshow/113680777.cms
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