Guwahati, Mar 17: Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi raised serious concerns about Assam’s declining forest cover and questioned the government over the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) directives on environmental protection.
During the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Gogoi highlighted discrepancies between the draft and final notifications of the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) for the Hollongpar Gibbon Sanctuary.
He pointed out that the 2018 draft notification explicitly banned oil and gas exploration, but the final 2019 notification removed this restriction—despite no public objections.
He accused the government of clearing the path for Vedanta Ltd’s oil and gas production under the pretence of exploration, citing the company’s proposal for Early Production Units (EPUs) and Quick Production Units (QPUs).
The MP stressed that oil and gas extraction falls under the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) Red Category of highly polluting industries and is prohibited in ecologically fragile zones.
He demanded clarity on how the project secured approval from the Wildlife Board and insisted that such activities should not be allowed within the ESZ of the sanctuary.
Citing the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023, Gogoi revealed that Assam’s forest cover shrank by 86.66 sq km between 2021 and 2023.
Data from the Assam Science and Technology Environment Council (ASTEC) confirmed a total loss of 83.92 sq km of forest and tree cover during the same period.
He also pointed to illegal coal mining as a major contributor to deforestation, noting that Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts recorded the highest rates of forest loss.
Gogoi questioned whether the Assam government was enforcing environmental guidelines and called for a central investigation team to probe the role of district forest officers in the destruction of the state’s forests.
In response, the minister acknowledged the loss of forest cover between 2021 and 2023 and assured the House that a thorough investigation would be conducted into illegal coal mining activities.
