Skip to content Skip to navigation

PIL against illegal saw mills and felling of trees in Meghalaya

The illegal felling of trees and illegal operation of Sawmills in Meghalaya has assumed such wide and significant proportion that the said illegal operation of saw mills and also illegal felling of trees has resulted in severe public outcry in the State. The common conscious citizens of the country have reasons to be anxious in the face of gross mismanagement of the entire forest cover and resources of the State. The entire episode has now attained higher proportions in view of some recent developments which prima facie reveal the intention of the authorities manning the affairs of the State to help in achievement of undue gains to a few individuals at the cost of the Environment, depleting the Forest resources and Public Interest, and environmental safety.

A PIL was filed by Advocate Nayanjyoti Medhi on behalf of the Garo Students Union through the Khasi Hills Zone President Sanjeeb A Sangma and General Secretary Alex R Marak praying for urgent judicial intervention of the Gauhati High Court into the illegal operation of sawmills and also illegal felling of trees in the State of Meghalaya, more particularly in the Garo Hills region and the subsequent inaction by the department of forest and other authorities in the State of Meghalaya to ensure strict compliance of the Hon'ble Apex Court's orders passed in W.P 202 of 1995 [T.N. Godavarman Thirumulkpad versus Union of India]. It was prayed on behalf of the Garo Students Union that if Gauhati High Court does not urgently interfere to close down the illegal saw mills operating in the State of Meghalaya and monitor the entire conservation of natural forests, protection, forest rehabilitation, regeneration, afforestation, reforestation and new plantations, with a view to maintaining or restoring the ecological balance, the State will soon have depleted the entire forest cover leading to environmental imbalances of catastrophic proportions. The Division Bench comprising of Chief Justice Shri Jasti Chelameshwar and Justice Hrishikesh Roy has admitted the petition and issued notice to the Government of Meghalaya which was accepted by Government Advocate of Meghalaya Sri Ratul Goswami.

Further details may be had from Sanjeeb A Sangma at +91 98630 22587 or +91 94363 13284

Comments

MD AFTAR HUSSAIN CHOWDHURY's picture

Sir, It is very nice that our people is now environment conscious. Sir in my locality (Doboka, Nagaon, Assam) there also many illegal saw mills running. But the Ranger takes monthly ransom money from the owner and they are now destroying our valuable forest.

Pages

Add new comment

Assamese Translator

Assam Times seeks English to Assamese translators!
Join our volunteer team.
Email editor@assamtimes.org.

Random Stories

NCW sacks probe panel member

17 Jul 2012 - 12:35pm | editor
The National Commission for Women has axed Alka Lamba from the panel set up to probe the Guwahati molestation case. NCW chairperson Mamta Sharma sacked her following a faux pas in which Lamba had...

KLNLF holds talks with the Centre in Delhi

9 Sep 2011 - 4:53pm | editor
KLNLF and Centre agreed to carry forward the peace process in karbi Anglong district when they held a crucial round of talks in Delhi on Tuesday. Both sides believed that it will end hostile...

Udalguri bandh on July 10

7 Jul 2017 - 8:45pm | Shajid Khan
The Udalguri district committee of All Assam Gorkha Students' Union (AAGSU) has called 12 hour Udalguri district bandh on July 10 demanding immediate arrest of the miscreants involved in...

AGP sounds poll bugle

20 May 2015 - 3:57pm | AT News
The Asom Gana Parishad virually sounded poll bugle holding a huge rally in Guwahati on Wednesday targetting both Delhi and Dispur. Hundreds of party workers joined the rally which touch the...

Other Contents by Author

Simmering clashes in BTAD areas dominated parliament proceedings when it resumed on Wednesday forcing the Lok Sabha Speaker to adjourn the House for a few hours. The Opposition parties storm the well demanding action on the issue despite Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's assurance that all issues will be discussed in Parliament. Dr Singh said that the government is prepared to discuss any issue in accordance with rules and hoped the Opposition will allow the two houses to function smoothly without disruptions. He said a decision on his statement on Assam violence would be based on what happens in Parliament. Singh said he hoped all political parties would cooperate with the government in...
The United Liberation Front of Asom has expelled its chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa citing his failure to go back to the jungles. In a statement issued to media on Thursday, the outfit’s anti-talk faction said that Dr Abhijit Asom alias Abhijit Barman would replace him. The outfit alleged that they earlier served an ultimatum to leave the government hospitality but he failed to accede to it.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has set up a special team to probe the ethnic clash in BTAD areas and Dhubri where 73 died and thousands of people have been displaced. According to sources, the special team will be arriving in Assam on Thursday to inspect the four violence-hit districts from Friday. The country’s premier investigation agency will take up the larger conspiracy cases. The development comes two days after Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi demanded a CBI probe into the violence.
In a major setback to peace initiatives, NDFB’s Ranjan Daimary faction has withdrawn the unilateral ceasefire announced ten months ago. According to a statement signed by IK Songbijit, the decision to withdraw the unilateral declaration for cessation from all types of violence has been taken after considering all aspects of present situation. The Ranjan Daimary faction is the breakaway group of parent NDFB, which renamed itself as NDFB (Progressive), after signing the bilateral truce with the Centre in 2005. The faction has its presence in Myanmar, sharing camps with the anti-talks faction of Ulfa and NSCN (Khaplang).
Railway Police arrested one person in connection with sensational murder of Pritam Bhattacharjee last month.Identified as Chhatu Sahni, the accused has been arrested based on information given by two eyewitnesses and is being questioned in Barauni in Bihar. Bhattacharjee, a student of atomic physics from Assam was travelling from Guwahati to Delhi in Avadh Assam express to pursue his PhD in New Delhi. When the train was passing through Naugachia in Bhagalpur in eastern Bihar, he was attacked by thieves in his compartment on July 9.
Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi said on Tuesday that CBI will probe into the group clash in Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri districts where death toll has gone upto 73. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, Gogoi said that he has asked his ministers in tour to come back to the state immediately. He said that the group clash may be spread to other places. In yet another development, forest minister Rockybul Hussain is his way back to Assam from London where he was attending the Olympic. The instruction assumes significance a day after Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma left for Delhi.
An awareness event on Mahapurush Srimanta Sankaradeva is going to be held at Kamini Auditorium, New Delhi on September 13, 2012. The event would comprise of a Presentation on Sankaradeva followed by one hour thematic performance of a dance-drama, “Chordhora Jhumura”. The event is being organised by Trend MMS in collaboration with Assam Association, Government of Assam and Ministry of Culture, Government of India. The main aim of the eventy is to: - Make people residing in National Capital aware of the great teachings and rich cultural heritage of Assam initiated way back in the 15th century. Media would be the one of the stakeholders, whose attention would be sought to...
Violence resurfaces in BTAD areas. Three more persons were killed while two others injured in Kokrajhar district taking the death toll to 64. This has forced the authorities to reimpose curfew in the district. Indefinite curfew continues in the Chirang district following fresh reports of arson. Unidentified miscreants indiscriminately fired in Ranibuli village under Kokrajhar police station on Monday midnight killing three persons and seriously injuring two others. Police and para-military forces were rushed to the affected areas. It takes place after four people were killed in a similar act of violence on Sundayt. The two injured were rushed to Guwahati Medical College and Hospital. At...
BJP president Nitin Gadkari on Monday slammed Congress accusing it of using Bangladeshi immigrant for vote bank politics in Assam. Talking to reporters in Agra, Gadkari alleged that the ruling party has politicized the entire conflict for its political gain. He said that the population of the Bangladeshis immigrants increased by 80 per cent and that the Bangladeshis completely occupied the state and managed to purchase property there.
After the anti-corruption cell raided his Tarun Nagar based residence and firm house, RH Khan said that he was the victim of a nefarious conspiracy. Talking to reporters on Monday in Guwahati, the main accused in the multi crore dima Hasao scam said that he had nothing to hide and that NIA and CBI have already probed the scam. Notably, chief minister’s anti corruption and vigilance cell recently seized some incriminating materials during a raid at his residence in Guwahati.