GUWAHATI, Nov 18 - A three-men committee appointed by the State�s forest department has warned that encroachment and anthropogenic disturbances in the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary have created such a situation that the entire city areas of Guwahati, �at any point of time� may face the depredation of the Amchang elephants. The committee was formed to investigate the incidents of illegal tree felling, illegal construction, forest burning, cutting of forest land, etc taking place in and around the sanctuary. The committee was headed by Chief Conservator of Forests (Territorial), Central Assam Circle, Guwahati, and its other members were the DFO, Kamrup East Division and DFO, Guwahati Wildlife Division. It submitted its report on June 19, 2020. A copy of the report has been obtained by activist Rohit Choudhury through an RTI application.
The sanctuary comprises the three reserved forests (RFs) of Khanapara, Amchang and South Amchang. The Amchang RF with an area of 53.18 sq km, constitutes its Block-I, while Khanapara RF and South Amchang RF, with an area of 25.46 sq km, constitute its Block-II. The perimeter of Block-I is about 34.6 km, while the perimeter of Block-II is about 41.8 km. The committee said it found that there are fresh encroachments in the sanctuary. The encroachers are claiming that the plots of land under their possession are of revenue category and they are expanding the size of their plots. The committee found tree felling and earth cutting of serious nature outside the sanctuary between Khanapara and Jorabat.
The College of Veterinary Science, Shilpgram and the Sankaradeva Kalakshetra have been facing serious threat from indiscriminate tree felling and earth cutting in the upper ridge of the areas outside the Veterinary College campus, it said.
Encroachments inside as well as in the fringe areas, together with other anthropogenic interferences, have resulted in regular habitat loss for the wildlife, specially for wild elephants. This has resulted in these wild animals frequently venturing out of the WLS and creating havoc in Narengi, Panjabari, Chandrapur, Satgaon, Botahghuli, Baghorbori areas. The Narengi Military Station, too, is facing elephant depredation on a regular basis. The committee has recommended several measures to stop the jumbo menace.
