SILAPATHAR, Dec 26 � The All Assam Students� Union (AASU), Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK), Assam Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), Jonai unit, Nature�s Beckon, Jonai Press Club, Silapathar Press Club, Dhemaji District Journalists Association (DDJA), Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) along with the local people of Jonai, etc, have called for urgent measures to save the Poba Reserve Forest, the lone reserve forest of Dhemaji district, and declare it a wildlife sanctuary to save it from encroachment, illegal felling of trees, erosion, flood and illegal cultivation.
The local organisations appealed to all to come forward to save the biodiversity of Poba RF. Under the Dhemaji Forest division, eight reserve forests covering 54616.71 hectares of land, including (Poba 10,221 ha), Gali (12,923.24 ha), Jamjing (9060 ha), Sengajan (1,618.71 ha), Subansiri (17,465.26 ha) and one proposed reserve forest, Kabu, covering 9400 hectares have no existence as reserve forests, except Poba.
This lone reserve forest of the district, located on the outskirts of Jonai town and the entire eastern part of Dhemaji district, is in a critical state due to encroachment, erosion, flood, damaged seedlings in the forest nursery, unabated felling of trees, illegal cultivation etc. The Forest Department of Dhemaji division as well as authorities concerned has not shown any keen interest in saving the Poba RF.
Poba is a deep green forest with valuable trees, orchids, medicinal plants, varieties of birds and wild animals including elephants. Poba is known for famous ground orchids and elephant corridor of Ruksin forest range, under East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh. It is a treasure trove of natural flora and fauna, model habitat of wildlife, natural beauty with the numerous streams flowing from the foothills of Arunachal Pradesh.
But large-scale cutting of trees and deforestation and illegal cultivation is affecting its biodiversity. Around 2000 hectares of forest land has been encroached for illegal cultivation near the villages of Leku, Natun Jelom, Rigbi, Sile, Bera Chapari under Leku and Tinimile forest beat office of Poba RF.
A few years ago, the forest department had taken an afforestation drive near Leku river at the forest site with plantation committee to protect the deforestation. But it was of no avail.
Thereafter, encroachment continued on the bank of the river Leku beat office under Poba RF in an area upto 10 km long and 2 km wide. Moreover poaching has also emerged as a threat to the Reserve Forest.
Besides, several hundred hectares of RF land have been eroded by Siang and Lali river while floods have damaged valuable trees. If erosion and deforestation continue in this way then Jonai town will face great destruction in near future.
On the other hand, the proposed Kobu Reserve Forest under Kobu Chapari, the second biggest river island of Brahmaputra, is also facing danger due to encroachment and erosion. More than 200 ha of land, out of 9400, have been eroded.
The Jonai Press Club submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister and the Forest Minister demanding Poba be saved from encroachment. They also demanded that Poba be declared as a wildlife sanctuary and sufficient numbers of check posts be set up with more forest workers.
