PATACHARKUCHI, Sept 23 - Akaya forest garden, a huge area with a number of valuable trees on the bank of Kaladia river of Akaya Nanda Supa under Barpeta district, is currently on the verge of extinction due to severe erosion of the river.
The trees in huge numbers are still lying on the riverbed. However, both government and non-government organisations are not taking any initiative to save the forest garden.
It was set up on the 37 bighas of land provided by Akaya Nanda Supa Development Committee in 2000. More than 3,000 saplings of Gamari, Sisu and Ejar etc., were planted in cooperation with social forestry of Kokilabari under NK division. After five years, the garden was handed over to the Unnayan Samiti to look after and take care of the trees. Now only about 10 bighas of the forest land was left in the area due to erosion.
Though, every year trees are being washed away by the river. In the last flood, more than 100 trees and around two bighas of land area were washed away, said Dhiren Singh, president of the Development Samiti.
The river takes a U-turn in that area causing severe erosion damage. If proper measures are not taken to stop the erosion, the garden will soon be destroyed, he said.
Singh told this correspondent that several petitions were submitted to the higher authorities demanding restoration the garden, but in vain. Moreover, some unsocial elements are also posing threat to the garden.
A forest protection committee had been formed a few years ago to guard the garden trees from unsocial elements, but they too failed to fulfil their duties.
