GUWAHATI, Feb 27 - Stone mining activities are going on unabated in Karbi Anglong in the vicinity of the world famous Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve in violation of a Supreme Court of India order, alleged RTI-cum-environment activist Rohit Choudhury.
The apex court had directed issuance of a declaration of eco-sensitive zone with a ten kilometre radius of the National Park and Tiger Reserve. No mining activities could be carried out within this ten kilometre radius. The Supreme Court order was passed in PIL 460/2004 on December 4, 2006 till the eco-sensitive zone is declared. The State Government is yet to declare this zone.
Choudhury, who could get the copies of the correspondences made in this connection, through RTI applications, said there is a debate between the forest officials of Bokakhat, KNP and Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council in this connection. Divisional Forest Officer, Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, Bokakhat and the Director, Kaziranga National Park (KNP) have been writing to the authorities concerned with pleas to initiate steps for bringing an end to stone mining practices in Karbi Anglong, but in vain, Choudhury said.
On November 7, 2016, DFO, Bokakhat wrote to the Divisional Forest Officer, Karbi Anglong West, requesting for issuance of order to close the stone quarrying activities in Geleki Stone Quarry and Panbari Stone Quarry and to refer the case to the Standing Committee of the National Board of Wildlife as per the order of the Supreme Court.
The DFO in his letter mentioned the report of the Circle Officer, Bokakhat Revenue Circle on the degradation of soil quality in the surrounding farming areas of Geleki Stone Quarry, which is located at a distance of 4 km from the southern boundary of the National Park.
The DFO further said the stone quarries near Rongagorah, Slimkhuwa, Rongbongwe (six in number), Dihingjuri and Killinggaon in Karbi Anglong district are located about two to three kilometres from the southern boundary of the western range of the National Park.
The Office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, wrote to the DFO, Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, Bokakhat (Letter No. PCCF/KA/WL/2016-17/1685 dated 23/11/2016), �Please let me know, as your priorities are known World Wide; as DFO, EAWL Division; whether you should concentrate on Garh or Geleki?
�Perhaps I need not remind you it is better to stick to Garh than to meddle into Geleki affairs which had approved mining-plan and required and valid environmental clearance documents from proper authority. Anyway, the concerned DFO has closed it down. This has created large scale resentment due to loss of employment to the people of Geleki�,� said the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council.
Choudhury alleged that all the above stone quarries are operating and they are operating in an illegal manner, depriving the State Government of its due royalty.