Sikhna Jwhwlao National Park encroachment: Chirang Forest dept to hold public meeting on Dec 3

Bongaigaon, Dec 2: The Forest Department of the Chirang district has planned to organise a public meeting at Runikhata in the district before carrying out a drive against the encroachers in the newly declared Sikhna Jwhwlao National Park.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma declared the state's 8th and BTR's 3rd National Park—which sits in between Kokrajhar and Chirang districts and spreads over a 321.90 sq km area—on August 15 this year.

When the forest personnel visited the national park, which is home to the endangered primate species golden langur, elephants, and tigers, to locate its encroached part a few days back, a group of encroachers allegedly held the forest guards captive. Later, the forest officials with the help of the police rescued them.

The enforcement team also picked up over a hundred encroachers on the charge of obstructing the forest staff during their duty. The accused were released after completing departmental formalities.

"Over two hundred encroachers are still present in the national park area, and to evict them, we need active support from the police and civil administration. So, we have decided to hold a public meeting on December 3 with the local religious leaders, student leaders, and other stakeholders at Runikhata to convince the encroachers through them to vacate the forest land," said the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Chirang Division, Kunjan Basumatary.

The Chirang District Commissioner is likely to chair the public meeting in which police officials, Bodoland Territorial Region Executive Member for Forest, Ranjit Basumatary, and officials of the departments concerned are supposed to present.

"Following the meeting, the anti-encroachment drive will be finalised," DFO Basumatary added.

By-

Correspondent