Assam: Environment Ministry seeks action against former PCCF member Yadava

Guwahati: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has directed the Deputy Director General of Forests (DDGF), MoEF&CC, Regional Office, Shillong to “take action” against Assam’s former PCCF member Yadava for allowing forest land to is used for non-purposes. -forestry activities without prior permission from the central government.

In a letter to DDGF, MoEF&CC, Regional Office, Shillong, asked Suneet Bhardwaj, Assistant Inspector General of Forest to take action “in the present matter as prescribed under Section 3A and 3B of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam.”

Section 3A of the “Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam” specifies an imprisonment of up to fifteen days for officials responsible for illegally extracting forest land in violation of the provisions of the law.

Section 3B makes it clear that even in cases where the illegal abuse is caused by authorities or government departments other than the HoD, the head of the department will be considered guilty unless he proves that it was done without his knowledge or he takes all necessary steps has undertaken. make every effort to prevent the commission of such a criminal offence.

The environment ministry’s orders came after the investigation initiated by the ministry revealed that large-scale construction activities were underway at the Inner Line Reserve Forest near Damchera in Hailakandi district of Assam for an Assam Police commando battalion.

The MoEF&CC initiated an investigation in February this year after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) took suo motu cognizance of the matter in January 2024 based on a news report titled: “Assam: PCCF MK Yadava accused of illegally felling protected forest for the Commando Battalion,” published in Northeast Now on December 25 last year.

Yadava is alleged to have circumvented mandatory procedures under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 for this project which is located in an Inner Line Reserved Forest.

Ex-PCCF Yadava, who filed an affidavit with the NGT in January, claimed that no illegal extraction of forest land had taken place.

He claimed that the land at Damcherra would be used solely for erecting temporary tents to house a Commando Battalion that would protect the Inner Line Reserve Forest.

However, a counter affidavit subsequently filed by the MoEF&CC before the NGT revealed former PCCF member Yadava’s attempt to mislead the court regarding diversion of 44 hectares of protected forest land for non-forestry activities.

WI Yatbon, Deputy Inspector General of Forest (DIGF) at MoEF&CC’s Shillong regional office, filed a counter affidavit with NGT on March 28, claiming the opposite.

Yatbon’s statement revealed that a large-scale construction project was underway, which contradicted Yadava’s description of temporary tents.

The affidavit described permanent concrete structures covering as much as 11.5 hectares, with a plinth area of almost 30,000 square meters.

The affidavit further stated that the scale of construction far exceeded activities permitted under the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980 for conservation purposes, such as building checkpoints or shooting ranges.

The affidavit further raised serious environmental concerns. It reported that the 11.5 hectare construction site had been completely cleared of vegetation and leveled. The affidavit stated that the area was previously used for rice fields and plantations, indicating that a vital ecological area had been sacrificed for the project.

The remaining 32.5 hectares used for the project was described as moderately dense forest with teak and Gamari plantations. This underlines the potential loss of valuable biodiversity as a result of the project.

Even more alarming, the affidavit reported that the Assam PCCF and HoFF had approved the construction in September 2023 and classified it as subordinate to the forest protection department, despite clear evidence of a permanent large-scale construction project.

The affidavit also documented environmental damage caused by the project, including the direct dumping of construction land near a stream and the presence of a rock crusher, raising concerns about water pollution and habitat destruction.

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