Environment / Assam

NEW DELHI, Dec 18 – In what could land Assam Government in an embarassing position, Central Water Commission (CWC) has scrapped 15 flood control projects of Assam because of non-response of the State Government for over a year. The 15 proposals deleted by the CWC were part of the 109 flood control proposals submitted by Assam Government since 1999. Out of these, 47 projects have been techno-economically cleared, while 31 others have been accorded investments clearance by the Planning Commission.

Another 27 projects after being examined by the CWC have been returned to the State Government by...

Silchar, Dec. 18: Wild elephants last night raided villages near the Badshahi reserve forest under Patherkandi block of Karimganj district, killing one person and seriously injuring another. The victim has been identified as Ram Suryabongshi of Longai tea estate.

Authorities there fear that the man-elephant conflict may worsen, with villagers preparing to attack the tuskers. The herd also damaged cottages and crops in the area.

The rampaging elephants made their way into the Longai estate belonging to the Assam Tea Corporation, bringing down 11 cottages. Rogue elephants destroyed over 70 huts...

GOLAGHAT, Dec 17— The historic Deopahar of Numaligarh within Golaghat district was declared as a reserve forest area by the Governor of Assam on August 19, 1999 through a notification No. FRS-18-99-15. It was published in the Assam Gazette on September 13, 2000. The Deopahar reserve forest area covers about 133.44 hectares of land and it is known and identified as a forest area. But still, the forest department, Revenue department and Numaligarh tea garden management have failed to demarcate and settle the actual boundaries for proper protection of the reserve forest. It may be mentioned that...

GOLAGHAT, Dec 16 — The Kaziranga National Park authority is facing great troubles in the protection and preservation of flora and fauna of the world famous park. World renowned NGOs have recognised KNP as the most protected park, but sadly in the last 15 days or so at least five rhinos have been killed by the poachers and is therefore proved that the KNP authority totally failed to protect the one horned rhinos. It may be pertinent to say that only two or three forest guards have to guard – against the animals staying in the most dilapidated forest camps without security for their lives. On...

New Delhi, Dec. 16: The Assam Development Report (ADR), jointly sponsored by the Planning Commission and the state government, has recommended a detailed study of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries for harnessing their economic, military and communication potential.

Such a study, said the report, should be accorded top priority as part of the ?government?s efforts to reach out to the region? and ?give it a sense of inclusion in the task of ending disparities?. It also suggests that the task should be entrusted to the department for Development of the North Eastern Region (DONER), the nodal...

GUWAHATI, July 11 ? Militant outfit National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB), today said that if the government is concerned about preservation of forests, it should first clear the tribal belts and blocks illegally occupied by unathorised people for settlement of the indigenous people now living in forest land. In a statement released to the press today, publicity secretary of the NDFB B Erakdao said that keeping in mind the serious issue of preserving the ecological balance, the NDFB, from the very beginning, had been advocating the need for preservation of forests and other natural...

GUWAHATI, July 11 ? For the deluge-affected Guwahatians, some relief is forthcoming. The State Government, concerned over the plight of the residents of the city, has constituted a task force to co-ordinate implementation of short-term and long-term measures to remove the city?s problem of flash flood and sanctioned an amount of Rs 2 crore to activate the four pumps at the Bharalu sluice gate while another amount of Rs 3 crore is being released to press into service two barge-mounted excavators to keep the Bharalu free from silt. This amount is being released from the Central Government?s Non...

UDALGURI, July 10 ? At a time, when the State Police department has been observing ?Operation Green Earth Project? throughout the State with the help of other government and non-governmental social and nature organisations, conscious citizens of Udalguri area expected that the illegal felling of valuable logs by antisocial elements would come to a (temporary) end, but ignoring all such government efforts to check the deforestration process, the felling of valuable trees in and around Indo-Bhutan foothills and Assam - Arunachal foothills has been going on unabated and it is feared that the...

KAMALABARI, July 9 ? A herd of wild elephants numbering 50 to 55 recently caused extensive depredations to ripe Ahu crops in east Majuli. The wild elephants also devoured the standing crops of about 600 bighas of land. The villagers of Napamua, Baghargaon, Gayangaon, Chinatoli, Nikinikhowa, Kalanibari, Meragarh, Salmara etc are now spending sleepless nights, protecting their hearth and homes from the onslaught of the elephants. The inhabitants of the area demand the subdivisional administration to take adequate measures to drive away the wild elephant from the river island. They further urge...

GUWAHATI, July 9 ? More than 2.26 lakh people of seven districts of the State have so far been affected in the first wave of floods this year, which started on June 21, an official release said. The release said that as many as 269 villages of the districts of Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Darrang, Goalpara, Nalbari and Kamrup have been attached by the floods so far this year. The total area affected is 15,618 hectares, of which 13,449 hectares are crop land. The worst hit Dhemaji district remained cut off from the rest of the State for the seventh day today. The road link to Dhemaji was snapped on July...