M'laya's Mukroh village accuses KAAC of forest encroachment amidst border row
The village headman has filed a complaint with the Meghalaya Deputy Chief Ministers
The village head, Phawa, has accused the KAAC of unlawfully cutting down trees in order to build a road in Salang and establish a tea plantation.
Guwahati, Dec 4: Residents of Mukroh village in Meghalaya’s West Jaintia Hills have expressed growing concerns over illegal road construction and deforestation activities allegedly carried out by the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) in nearby forests.
The village head, Phawa, has accused the KAAC of unlawfully cutting down trees in order to build a road in Salang and establish a tea plantation, which the Mukroh Dorbar Shnong has condemned as an act of "intrusion and trespass”.
In response to the situation, Phawa filed a formal complaint with the Meghalaya Deputy Chief Ministers Prestone Tynsong and Sniawbhalang Dhar.
Although authorities visited the site and temporarily halted the construction, Phawa claims that work resumed "immediately after the magistrate left".
The headman has now called for the deployment of security forces to prevent further development in the area, citing fears over the illegal encroachment.
"The residents of Mukroh village depend on firewood for cooking food, which is traditionally collected from the forests of the village. However, after the recent intrusion by the KAAC, they are now afraid to gather firewood due to threats from the council, which has claimed that the Mukroh forest belongs to them," Phawa said, in a letter addressed to the Deputy Chief Ministers.
The escalating tensions in Mukroh come amidst the backdrop of a long-standing border dispute between Assam and Meghalaya.
The issue has been particularly sensitive in recent years, with incidents such as the deadly firing in 2022, where six people, including an Assam forest guard, lost their lives in a confrontation along the disputed border in Mukroh village. The incident reportedly stemmed from a timber-smuggling dispute.
Efforts to resolve the vexed border row have been ongoing, with a significant agreement signed between Assam and Meghalaya on March 29, 2023, successfully resolving 6 disputed areas among 12.
The next round of talks to resolve the remaining 6 areas of dispute was supposed to take place in October, but its postponed have raised concerns amongst the residents of both the sates.
By-
Correspondent
