Encroachment
in Karimganj RFs on
From Our
Correspondent
KARIMGANJ, Nov 5 – The problem of encroachment in reserve
forests under Karimganj forest division is posing a serious
threat to forest resources.
There are six reserve forests in Karimganj district.
According to the data provided by Dr SU Choudhury, DFO,
Karimganj, 837 families have encroached 1197 hectare in the
15,139.30-hectare-large Langai RF; 684 families are
occupying 1322.36 hectare of the 7513.81-hectare area of
Badshahitilla RF; and 268 families have occupied 795 hectare
out of the 3478.28 hectare of Duhalia RF.
In Singla RF, 661.17 hectare land out of 12429.53 hectare
has been occupied by 881 families; 191 families are living
on 107.20 hectares of the 1848 hectare area of Tilbhum RF
while 469 families are encroaching 414.55 hectare of the
7647.35 hectare area of Patharia Reserve Forest.
Chaudhury disclosed that, besides the above figure, there
are 43 recognised forest villages and 17 Tangiya villages.
The Tangiya villages comprises the tribal people and each
family was allotted two bighas of land for betel leaf
cultivation for a period of three years during the 1970s
with a condition that within this period they should change
their habit of shifting cultivation. At the time of
establishment of such villages, total number of families
were about 250 but due to population growth the number of
families has increased upto ten times and besides the
population growth the Tangiya village all the time invited
their own community members to illegal occupy RF land and as
per latest sensus more than 75 per cent of the total Tangiya
villagers are not the original allottees. Moreover, it is
very unfortunate that instead of betel leaf cultivation,
more than 100 fisheries have been set up by obstructing
natural flow of water alongwith total felling of jhum
cultivation both in low and high land. In this way about 50
per cent of the total RFs area under the heavy biotic
interferences. This is a common picture all over the state.
Narrating the background of the encroachment, the DFO
disclosed that the forest and Tangiya villagers are the
voters. In the gaon panchayat, LAC, HPC elections and the
political power cannot be denied. Moreover, different
churches have conveys because the most of Tangiya villagers
are tribal Christians originating from Meghalaya, Mizoram
and Tripura and hence the international linkage of the
Churches plays a pivotal role in the matter.
On the plea of Tribal Act 2006 the Tangiyas are continuously
inviting their own community members from the adjoining
States and the encroachment by way of jhum cultivation has
magnified. Though under Clause 2 (O), of the tribal Act, the
rights conferred to a member who has residing for three
generations prior to 13-12-2005 and three generation means a
period of 75 years and further under clause 2 (N), the
Bio-diversity cannot be distributed but to be enjoyed in a
sustainable way only. Further, under Clause 3 (W), the Act
provides some relaxation for school, dispensary, drinking
water, roads, minor irrigation etc. but under due permission
from the Govt of India only for a plot of land not more than
one hectare. Inspite of all such provisions, the Tangiyas
are trying to occupy more RF lands by jhum cultivation
alongwith the construction of fisheries, pucca houses in
violation of the Clauses under Chapter-III of Clause-5
‘duties of holders’ where it is specifically mentioned that
the protection of forest, wildlife, bio-diversity, ecology
etc are the basic duties are the rights holders but all such
duties have violated.
According to Dr Salman Uddin Chaudhury, the Forest
department is actively trying to obstruct all such illegal
activities but on the field considering the insurgent
activities, remoteness, lack of communication etc. the
efforts have not been successful.
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