MANGALDAI, Dec 14 � A state of confusion has been prevailing here among the nature lovers over an advertisement published by the State Forest Department in a couple of vernacular dailies in connection with public hearing on a proposed Eco- Sensitive Zone (ESZ), where the status of both Orang National Park and Nameri National Park and Tiger Project have been mentioned as wildlife sanctuaries instead of the national parks.
It may be mentioned here that the said advertisement was published by the Forest Department through Janasanyog (No. 5759/14) in two Assamese vernacular newspapers recently. Through the advertisement, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Sonitpur East Wildlife Division tried to inform all concerned that vide Government of India Letter No. 1/9/2007/WL-1 (part) dated 9/2/2011 and vide notification FRW 1/2007/114 dated 5/11/2014 issued by the Assam Government, a public hearing would be held in the Office of the DFO, Mangaldai Wildlife Division on November 11 and at Nameri Tiger Project Division on November 12 regarding demarcation of the boundary of the proposed 'Eco Sensitive Zone' (ESZ) taking the areas of Nameri Wildlife Sanctuary, Orang Wildlife Sanctuary and Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary.
Meanwhile, taking part in the public hearing on November 11 last, when a section of local mediapersons pointed out this serious mistake, the forest officials present initially tried to ignore it, terming it as nothing but a printing mistake. But following strong protest from the mediapersons, the Conservator of Forest of North Assam Circle, PJ Vijayakar admitted the gross mistake.
On the other hand, the public hearing of the expert committee arranged by the Forest Department for recording suggestions or objections from the people or organisations of the respective areas allegedly turned out to be a farce since except issuing advertisements only in two Assamese newspapers, the DFOs of the concerned wildlife divisions did nothing for wide publicity in their respective areas.
Even the District Information & Public Relations Officer (DIPRO) and the mediapersons in the district were reportedly left uninformed due to reasons best known to the concerned DFOs.
Wildlife activist Dr Hari Charan Das, RTI activist Dilip Nath, two office-bearer of Aranya Suraksha Samiti, Assam were the only participants in the hearing on that day. However, in spite of the reluctance of the authority to inform the media, a section of local mediapersons attended the public hearing.
According to an official source, the State Government has constituted an expert committee taking Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, D Mathur as the chairman and Conservator of Forest, North Assam Circle, PJ Vijayakar, DFO, West Assam Wildlife Division Rajendra Garawad, DFO, Sonitpur East Wildlife Division Shubhashish Das and Conservator of Forest-cum-DFO of Mangaldai Wildlife Division SK Daila as members.
Significantly, the chairman of the expert committee did not attend the public hearing. Taking part in the public hearing, the wildlife activists and the mediapersons demanded for eviction of the illegal encroachers living inside the territory of Orang National Park before creation of the proposed 'Eco-Sensitive Zone' and expressed their resentment over the attitude of the Conservator of Forest-cum-DFO of Mangaldai Wildlife Division for not taking initiative for carrying out the eviction drive though the Gauhati High Court last year had reportedly set aside a case filed by the encroachers.