Guwahati, July 30: In a troubling revelation, the Assam forest department has disclosed that a staggering 68.74 percent of the forest land in Nameri National Park and Sonai Rupai Conservation Landscape is currently under encroachment. This alarming statistic was presented to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) Eastern Zone, following a petition by environmental activist Dilip Nath, who has long voiced concerns regarding the rampant encroachment affecting the Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) located in Sonitpur district.
The forest department’s submission mentioned that out of the 73,524.86 hectares comprising five wildlife sanctuaries and reserve forests within this landscape, approximately 50,241 hectares are encroached upon. Specifically, within the Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary, which spans 22,000 hectares, around 10,000 hectares have been claimed by encroachers.
The report highlights the alarming extent of encroachment across various regions: in the Charduar Reserved Forest, out of 24,072 hectares, 22,000 hectares have been taken over. Similarly, in the Balipara Reserved Forest, 10,000 hectares are under encroachment out of 18,972 hectares, while the Naduar Reserved Forest has seen 8,041 hectares encroached upon out of 8,141 hectares.
The forest department has successfully cleared 10,000 hectares of forest land from encroachers over the past two years. The government informed the Tribunal that significant areas have been reclaimed, including 100 hectares in Sonai Rupai WLS and smaller tracts in Senglimari and Naduar Reserved Forests.
However, the encroachment problem is compounded by the socio-economic dynamics of the area. Approximately 300,000 people from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other backward classes have settled in these forests since the late 1990s, clearing land for agricultural use. These settlers have cultivated commercial crops such as betel nuts, coconuts, rubber and tea, significantly impacting the local ecosystem.
Ironically, amidst this encroachment crisis, the government has established 68 Sarba Siksha Abhiyan schools within the boundaries of Sonai Rupai WLS and Charduar RF. This move has sparked further debate about the sustainable use of forest land and the rights of local communities.
Located along the foothills of the Great Himalayan Range, Sonai Rupai was declared a wildlife sanctuary on October 12, 1998 and was once renowned for its rich biodiversity, including the rare bonsun tree (Phoebe hainesiana). The ongoing encroachment threatens not only the flora and fauna but also the delicate balance of life that exists in this vital ecosystem.
“The old glory is no more. More than 40,000 people have been settled in the wildlife sanctuary. After the BJP-led government came to power, it created some forest villages for allotment of the land to the families,” environmental activist Dilip Nath said.
