Dibrugarh, July 26 : Around 50 youths from Kakopathar in Dibrugarh district called on Doomdooma divisional forest officer S.C. Khatoniar recently and informed him that they proposed to form a unit to protect the hollong tree. Sometime ago, the Moran community — one of the pre-dominant indigenous groups in Tinsukia district — declared the hollong tree a “national tree” as a first step to prevent the rampant felling. The preservation of the tropical tree is now a mission with the community. Parallels are being drawn with the Chipko Movement led by environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna to protect the greenery in Uttarakhand. The forest department has supported the move, with Khatoniar playing a significant role in persuading the Moran community to take the unique step. Khatoniar was hopeful that the community’s move, led by the All Assam Moran Students’ Union, will finally stop felling. According to the student association’s president, Bhulen Baruah, the decision was taken at a convention of the community recently. Baruah said the meet was held at the Nazirating LP School near Doomdooma, in which all Moran community organisations participated. Khatoniar said, “I wrote to my superiors in March this year, seeking their opinion on having the hollong tree declared as a national tree of the Moran community and the response had been positive. The state forest department wants me to go ahead with the noble project,” the officer said. The hollong tree is found in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts, comprising the forest divisions of Dibrugarh, Doomdooma and Digboi. The DFO felt according it the status of a “national tree” would help prevent felling and help in its conservation. “After all, felling the trees would then mean hurting the feelings of the community... the thought would keep people away from chopping the trees down,” he said. Market demand has given an impetus to felling in Upper Assam, an act that the foresters are finding difficult to police. Since the wood of the hollong tree has a ready market for shuttering and plywood, preventing its felling has become a top priority for forest department officials in Upper Assam. “A lot of our efforts aimed at preserving the green cover have failed, but community protection could be the solution,” Khatoniar said, adding that unless the locals chip in, forest conservation schemes would always have less than expected results. “There are 21 reserve forests with a total area of 31,000 hectares under Doomdooma forest division and if such small initiatives multiply, then we have a bright future ahead,” the DFO said. | ||
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