Article re poaching in Assam

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Hindustan Times, Saturday, November 16, 2002

 

Photographic evidence against forest officials

 

HT Correspondent

 

Guwahati, November 16

 

Nature's Beckon, an environmental group, has brought up fresh allegations,

backed up by photographic evidence, against two top forest officials of the

State Government.

 

It has exposed irresponsibility by some forest officials, resulting in

large scale felling of trees and wildlife poaching, including that of

Hoolock Gibbon in Joypur reserve forests.

 

Nature's Beckon director Soumyadeep Datta said his organisation had been

informing higher forest officials about illegal activities perpetrated

inside the reserve forests of upper Assam

 

The NGO had recently flashed the killing of Hoolock Gibbons in Joypur

Reserve forest, bird poaching in Pani Dihing reserve forest and destruction

of forest goods in upper Assam. It also accused Chinese and Myanmarese

nationals of involvement in the killing of Hoolock Gibbons and how forest

department officials were involved in felling of trees.

 

Earlier, two chief conservators of forests (CCF), Mohanchandra Malakar and

Sonadhar Doley, had said in Dibrugarh that the allegations by Natures

Beckon were baseless and that it had violated forest law. But the NGO came

out strongly against these officials.

 

Datta said that the newly incorporated Article 51 A sub-clause (g) provides

for them to save the forests. The Articles says, It shall be the duty of

every citizen of India to protect and improve the natural environment

including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife and to have compassion for

living creatures.

 

Datta said that the Second Mountain Unit, Field Division in Assam-Arunachal

border, had arrested two foreign poachers, Lusang (from China) and Afu

Fundren (from Myanmar).

 

The two confessed that they used to come to Arunachal Pradesh and Assam

every year for poaching and collecting wildlife parts to sell their

collection at lucrative prices in China and Thailand. Childless couples in

China, Thailand and Myanmar consume the meat of Hoolock Gibbons in the hope

of becoming fertile.

 

The Zoological Survey of India and Red Data Book have also mentioned in

their reports that the Hoolock Gibbons population had come down drastically

in the last two decades.

 

In 1980, there were 70,000 such species in the State, while at present

there are only 5,000.

 

He hinted at some nexus between the plywood industry lobby and some corrupt

forest officials. Although the plywood industry of upper Assam was closed

these days, opening of this industry is being talked about.

 

If the plywood industry opens up, raw materials like Holong, Makai, Nahar

and Titachopa tree have to be cut from nearby jungles. The Joypur reserve

forest, Upper Dihing and entire Assam-Arunachal border is rich in these trees.

 

The NGO is working for protection of these forests. These forests include

Joypur Rain Forest, the only rain forest of the North-east region.

 

Datta added that once the unholy nexus of forest officials, poachers and

industrialists succeeds in demoralising Natures Beckon, they would have

easier access to get raw materials in the form of woods.

 

 

Shirley McGreal, Chairwoman, International Primate Protection League

POB 766 Summerville SC 29484 USA

Phone: 843-871-2280 Fax: 843-871-7988

E-mail spm or ippl

Visit IPPL's award-winning web site: <http://www.ippl.org>

 

" Only after the last tree has been cut down,

only after the last river has been poisoned,

only after the last fish has been caught,

only then will you find that money can not be eaten. "

CREE INDIAN PROPHECY