Forest department cracks down on illegal sawmills in Bongaigaon, mill dismantled

Acting on the state government's directive to shut down all illegal sawmills within a week, the Forest Department has intensified its enforcement drive in Assam's Bongaigaon district.

As part of the crackdown, the Abhayapuri Forest Range conducted a raid on an illegal sawmill at Lengtisinga in Abhayapuri and dismantled the unit.

The operation was led by Abhayapuri Range Forest Officer Shankar Ray, with forest personnel seizing sawmill machinery, a large quantity of timber logs and processed wooden planks from the site.

Officials said the owner of the illegal sawmill fled after learning about the raid.

The action follows Forest Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah's announcement that all illegal sawmills operating across the state must be shut down within a week. The Forest Department said similar enforcement drives will continue to curb illegal timber operations and protect forest resources.