New areas encroached in spite of eviction drive by Forest dept

KOKRAJHAR, May 9: New areas are being encroached upon in Lungsung area of Chirang Reserve Forest under Haltugaon division in Kokrajhar district despite repeated eviction drives being carried out. More than 200 families from Jaipur, Runikhata, Bhutiapara Adivasi relief camps have allegedly encroached vast areas in Lungsung since the last two years.

It is worth mentioning here that The Sentinel carried stories regarding massive destruction of forest areas at Lungsung in Chirang Reserve Forest and about illegal encroachment in 2006. Temporary thatch houses had not been erected in 2006, but since the past few months, vast areas are now being allegedly encroached by Adivasi encroachers. The Department of Forest, BTC, had evicted the illegal encroachers several times but failed to drive them back.

In an interview, one Gopi Kisku of Bhutiapara said that they came to Lungsung three years back and their main source of income is through selling firewood. He admitted that they cut trees for the purpose of firewood and cultivation in the land. He also said they did not receive any Rehabilitation Grant (RG) from the Government while they were in the relief camp. Only Rs 2,000 and a bundle of tin sheets were given, he said, adding that the Forest Department has asked them to leave the ‘encroached’ land.

Another Matla Mardi hailing from Runikhata in Chirang district said that they came to Lungsung four years back along with people from at least seven villages to settle there, and added that they did not get any assistance from the Government.

He also said that they depend upon trees of the forest to sell them as firewood. He declined to give any comment on who brought them to the reserve forest. He also said that the Forest Department has instructed them to go back to their respective places.

In an interview, DFO, Haltugaon Division, Rajen Choudhury said the encroachment in Lungsng area of Chirang Reserve Forest took place in April, 2006. The Forest Department, BTC, has carried out many eviction drives at Lungsung, he said, adding that the encroachers are from different relief camps and there is no alternative livelihood for them. For him, an alternative livelihood is a necessity for stopping encroachment of forest land.

Choudhury said the BTC authority has issued instructions to intensify the eviction drive. The department is thinking about skill training to the unemployed camp inmates so that they could be absorbed in various works. For recovery of all degraded forest reserve land, the Task Force will carry out a massive plantation drive in those areas within a short time. He said Army jawans will also help in the task, which has already begun in Tezpur. The massive plantation drive will begin from the last week of May at Lungsung and will be completed within five years.