Assam: Forest department seizes illegal wood haul in Digboi

In a late-night operation, the Digboi Forest Department on July 15 successfully intercepted a 16-wheeler Punjab body truck carrying illegal wood from the neighbouring state of Arunachal Pradesh. Acting on information from confidential sources, the department was able to track down the truck and seize the valuable timber.

The Punjab body truck, with registration number AS 01 PC 6282, was apprehended by forest officials who conducted an investigation. The truck driver, caught off guard, claimed ignorance about the origin and ownership of the wood, stating that he was simply transporting it from Arunachal Pradesh to Tinsukia. He insisted that all the required documents were provided, unaware of the illicit nature of the cargo.

This incident comes shortly after a tribal group affiliated with the Youth Congress in Margherita, Tinsukia district, handed over an illegal timber-laden truck to the forest department. 

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been vocal about his plans to promote afforestation and protect the state's natural resources. However, forest giants have continued to engage in unauthorized logging activities, compromising the government's efforts.

Parag Jyoti Konwa, President of the Tinsukia District Youth Congress, condemned these unlawful activities, urging immediate action from the Digboi Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), local police, and the district commissioner. Konwa emphasized the need to dismantle the illegal wood syndicate and hold accountable those responsible for the wanton destruction of valuable trees.

Debjit Maran, an activist from the Digboi Nature Loving Association Greenward Society, expressed dismay over the seized truck and criticized certain forest department officials for allegedly engaging in illegal timber trade, using the names of prominent figures such as Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma and Piyush Hazarika for their advantage.

Maran emphasized that tree-cutting in forests is a crime and questioned how these forest giants have been able to operate unchecked, cutting down valuable trees for profit. He called on the government to conduct a thorough investigation, including scrutinizing vehicles involved in transporting illegal timber, and take appropriate action against those responsible.

The seized timber-laden truck has been impounded at the Digboi Regional Forest Officer's office, and an ongoing investigation is underway to uncover the full extent of the illicit timber trade.