Of woodlands and badlands
Althoughetrict checking is reportecilly done on every mode of transportation from northeastern states to admit parts of the country, the forest amfla operating In the region has been reporting to various plays to dety'the Supreme Caurts ban. For instance, in order to es;cape checking, wood Is smuggled out after being chapped into smaller pieces; the policing, usually done over logs and @planks, misses the consignments. Moreover, Assam's local press has reserved forests of Haltugaon and Chlrang in Kokralhar district due to Bodo insurgency. The United Uberation Front of Assam and even the rufing, Assam Garm Perished's ministers are believed to be actively involved in illegal timber-felling In the state and it% border areas. And in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh, actual forest cover has dropped from 82 per cent in 1991 to about 65 per cent In 1996.
Although law requires that all industrial units in the tribal states be in the name of 'locals', the fact is that most of these units are owned by 'non-local' traders and politicians. Besicles@ the mills flout the stipulation that they be located at a 'safe distance' from forest areas. There are numerous instances of a single permit being bought' by millowners for its 70.000-80,000 with 50 to 100 trees getting felled in the name of one tree. Porous borders add to the problem. The local press gives regular reports of logs being smuggled into Bangladesh by floating them down the Kushiara river in Barak valley of southern Assam.