#Sujit Chanda
The picturesque landscapes of Atharomura and Barmura hills, nestled along the Agartala-Assam National Highway in Tripura, are facing an imminent ecological disaster. Rampant deforestation, driven by relentless timber smuggling, is pushing these once lush green hills to the brink of extinction.
Unscrupulous timber smugglers, motivated by greed, are mindlessly decimating the forests without any regard for the ecological balance. The destruction is so blatant that trees are being felled and burnt in broad daylight.
“Whilst people were very much vocal about tree planting during the recent heat wave in Tripura, the timber smugglers were felling the trees. Owing to their greed-fuelled activities, the animals and nature are in deep danger”, opined a veteran of Barmura Hill areas.
The locals who live in the foothills of Barmura and Atharomura and are victims of frequent wild tusker attacks sounded serious alarm and said the deforestation is disrupting the habitats of the local wildlife.
Animals, deprived of their natural homes, are being forced into entering human settlements, leading to escalating man-animal conflicts. Deforestation is also causing scarcity of food for the animals aggravating their plights.
Despite the deforestation by the timber smugglers occurring in plain sight, the response from the authorities has been disheartening, local people alleged.
Nature conservation organizations, the Forest Department, and government officials are aware of the alarming situation. Yet, much like Dhritarashtra, the blind king from the epic Mahabharata, authorities allegedly choose to turn a blind eye.
Even as the Forest Department personnel often seize felled timber and sawmill equipment during raids, the menace of the timber bandit continues, much to the worry of the locals.
In the midst of this crisis, all eyes are on Animesh Debbarma, the current Minister for the Forests Department of Tripura. The question remains whether he will take decisive action against the timber bandits to halt deforestation and restore ecological balance. As the fate of Atharomura and Barmura hills hangs in the balance, the local populace is demanding effective strategies in curbing the menace of the timber bandits.
#Sujit Chanda may be contacted at enewstime2017@gmail.com
(Tripura, Tripura News)
