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

Normalcy set to restore in Karbi Anglong as KLNLF suspends blockade

9 Dec 2008 - 4:50pm | editor
Life in the simmering Karbi Anglong district is believe to limp back to normalcy as the KLNLF is withdrawing the indefinite rail and road blockade from Tuesday.According to information, the Karbi...

Assam scribes murder cases: PM steps in

17 Aug 2009 - 8:09am | editor
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh would step up to nab the killers of Assam journalist Kamala Saikia, who was murdered by the separatist militants 18 years ago. This was disclosed by Dr Singh as...

Students take up plantation drive at Tangla College

6 Jun 2016 - 7:34pm | Shajid Khan
As a part of World Environmental Day celebration a plantation drive was carried by students and employees of Tangla  on Sunday. A total of 150 saplings were planted on the college stadium...

Ex-gratia for man-elephant conflict victims

19 Jan 2017 - 10:07am | Shajid Khan
Encroachment of forest land and destruction of forests in state is linked with increasing man-elephant conflict casualties. Protection of forest land and peaceful co-existence strategy for human and...

Other Contents by Author

Flood situation improves gradually on Thursday. But army soldiers are still engaged in relief and rescue of the marooned people in Sonitpur district. According to information, at least 85 were killed and nearly 20 lakhs people have affected by heavy monsoon rains that caused floods in the state. The water levels of the mighty Brahmaputra and its tributaries have receded further after breaching embankments following heavy downpours last week. The villagers are still grappling with miseries as most of their belongings was washed away. Hundreds of soldiers and rescue workers from the NDRF have been deployed for rescue and relief efforts, while military helicopters have airlifted people and...
North east Congress leaders and legislators are all set to hold a meeting in Guwahati in presence of Pranab Mukherjee who will be on a two days visit to the north east on Friday. Presidential candidate Mukherjee will address the north east Congress MLAs and MPs in the meeting being organized Machkhowa ITA in the evening. According to information, like minded party leaders are also set to attend the meeting. After spending in Guwahati for the night the veteran Congressman will leave for Agartala on July 7.
Despite the ravaging flood waves, poachers in the Kaziranga National Park along with other sanctuaries are still striking. Most of the animals in the sanctuary have fled to higher grounds to get rid of watery grave. An adult male rhino was killed by poachers inside the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Morigaon district on Wednesday night. The poachers, who are believed to have come on a boat killed the rhino and managed to flee with the horn. The carcass was spotted on Thursday. Flood water since past one week and most of the animals in the sanctuary have fled to higher grounds.
People thronged in thousands at the Navagraha cremation ground on Thursday morning to get the last glimpse of famed poet Hiren Bhatta who breathed his last on Wednesday. His body was taken away from Snehtirtha at a procession of thousands of people. As soon as the body was placed at his residence, his fans cutting barriers of caste and creeds paid their last respect to the poet. Hundreds of his fans lined up even at night to pay homage to their Hiru-da. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Nilamoni Sen Deka, Pranati Phukan, Lakshminandan Bora, Rong Bong Terang, Hare Krishna Deka, Pradip Baruah and Kanak Sen Deka, educationists Prof Anil Goswami, Udayaditya Bharali were among those who visited the...
Devastating flood waters continue to show receding trend. But the blues of the displaced birds and animals in the Kaziranga National Park and other sanctuaries are still surging. Carcasses are spotted floating in the famed national Kazirnga National park, Manah and Pobitora sanctuaries.The carcass of a full grown female rhino was found in the Agortoli range on Wednesday. The horn was missing. But the authorities claimed it a natural death and that the horn was found under flood waters. A section of the local residents have it called it an incident of poaching. The forest guards found two more rhino carcasses from the Kohora range. According to information, bodies of 441 animals,...
Continuing landslide in Dhemaji heavily disrupts surface communication between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday. A vital portion of the National Highway 52 eroded rapidly in Behbeli area from Wednesday night after around 20 villages came under the surging waters. The situation took a grim turn after the surging waters of the Ziadhal, Kumotia rivers washed away a culvert in between Murkokcheleng and Rongia railway lines. Thousands of vehicles on the national highway 52 remained stranded because of this landslide.
Barak valley is still burning with violent protest even a week after the mob attack on MLA Rumi Nath. There are reports of violence in Kallain town in Cachar district forcing the district administration to impose under indefinite curfew after members of two communities clashed leaving 22 persons injured on Wednesday.Policemen deployed to rein in the situation used water canons to disperse the clashing groups during a 12-hour Barak Valley bandh following which the indefinite curfew was imposed.Reports of clashes are also coming from Nilambazaar in Karimganj district leaving three persons injured.Altogether 330 persons were arrested in Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi districts.The bandh was...
The Assam Assembly is all set to hold its five day long session from July 16. According to an official statement, July 16, 18, 19 and 20 have been kept for Government business. The voting on supplementary demands for grants for the financial year 2012-2013 will be held on July 18. On that day, the Assam Appropriation Bill 2012 would be introduced, considered and passed on that day.
Famed Assamese poet Hiren Bhatta is no more. He passed away on Wednesday at Dispur Hospital where he was admitted last month following lungs infection. The end came at 11-30 in the morning in presence of his wife and daughter. Hiru-da penned at least 11 collections of poetry. Many of these poems turned into songs by Assamese singers. His famed Sugandhi Pokhila has been translated into English. Other anthologies of poems include Roudro Kamona Tumar Bahi, Moor Dekh, Bibhinno Dinor Kobita and Hoichor Pothar Manuh, Mur priyo Barnamala, Bhalpuwar Buka, Bhalpuwar Dikchou Batere. Bhattacharyya was honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1992 and Assam Valley Literary Award in 2000. Recipient of...
The much awaited Career Handbook of Northeast got unveiled in the city today at the Guwahati Press Club, Ambari. The first issue of this one and only Yearbook got released in the august presence of Prof.Ramananda Das, Secretary of the Assam Employment Council. The renowned Eastern Book House(EBH) are the prestigious publisher of this handbook. This publication adds yet another feather in their long lists of quality books. In the very first year of its launch, The Northeast Career Yearbook 2012 already got nominated in the India Education Awards 2012, Delhi. Its blue print version has been widely appreciated and acknowledged at the national level by the scholars and academicians alike in...