'Intimidating' forest staff is very unfortunate: JCCWB
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 02 2020:
The Joint Coordination Committee on Wildlife and Biodiversity (JCCWB) has stated that 'intimidating' the staff of Thoubal Forest Division who were performing duty at Sandrok under Waithou Reserve by some individuals is very unfortunate.
A press release issued by JCCWB said that the forest staff went to Sandrok on receiving inputs that some persons were felling trees there.
Saying that the people who were carrying out the 'illegal activity' at the protected area includes a personnel of district police, Imphal East and retired Government's employee, the committee asked why the authority concerned is not yet arresting the 'wrongdoers' and pick up the gun used in intimidating the forest staff till date.
An NGO, Centre for Alternative and Integrative Medicine (CAIM), claimed that the area where the trees were felled belongs to them while the Forest Department contended that the area is protected reserve forest.
These two contrasting statements are confusing the people, it said and appealed to the State Government to clear the confusion of the people at the earliest.
As per the ruling of the Supreme Court, unauthorised felling of trees in a protected reserve forest is banned, the committee reminded.