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Floods damage Poba Reserve Forest

By CORRESPONDENT

JONAI, Sept 28 � The recent flash floods in Jonai subdivision in Dhemaji district have caused extensive damage to the Poba Reserve Forest at its different portions, where several hundred hectares of plantation including two nurseries were washed away.

The floods also created havoc in the nearby villages and caused extensive damage of lives and household properties in the nearby villages.

�The flash floods which started on September 9 last washed away about 80 hectares RDF plantation at Lali, Bahir Silley portions under Tinmail beat while it damaged two forest nurseries, one at Berachapori and the other at Kobu besides killing of two lakh polypot seedlings kept in the nurseries. The flood also damaged two forest roads passing through Tinmail to Berachapori and Tinmail to Baromile, with a stretch of 16 kilometer under its Tinmail beat,� said the range officer of Jonai territorial range, Khanindra Kr Nath.

The range officer further informed that flood waters inundated Berachapori and Bahir Silley portions of Poba RF and damaged 50,000 seedlings in the 40 hectare RDF (rehabilitation of damaged forest) and other 10-hectare plantation site at the same location. Besides these, the nursery set up at Berachapori, and washed away about two lakh seedling polypots kept therein.

Located at Jonai town outskirts, Poba RF is covering entire eastern part while it covers a large portion of Ruksin forest range under East Siang forest division in Arunachal. Covering an area of 10,221 hectares, the RF marks a hub of all natural bounties as the numerous perennial streams flowing down from the foothill of Arunachal Pradesh presents a model habitat of wildlife. But the natural flora and fauna is now threatened as the mighty Siang and Lali is constantly eroding forest land.

Flood waters also affected the proposed Kobu Chapori RF area located across the Lali river. Entire Kobu char was affected in this flood, which damaged several hectares of social forests besides damaging the seedlings of forest nursery. More than 200 hectares forest land at Upper Kobu has been eroded within the last three months,� the forest officer added.

�We, the limited forest staff are trying at our level best for protection of the remaining forest cover, but the higher authority has not yet initiated any anti-erosion measures to protect the reserve,� the range officer said.

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