Assam to restore 400 hectares of damaged Behali reserve forest, tighten security along border

Assam Forest Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah on July 16 announced immediate restoration and stricter protection measures for the Behali Reserve Forest after an inspection revealed extensive forest destruction along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh boundary.

Acting on the directions of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Mallabaruah visited the affected areas with senior officials from the Forest Department, Assam Police and the civil administration to assess the damage and review security arrangements.

The inspection followed reports of large-scale destruction allegedly carried out by miscreants operating across the inter-state border. According to the government, satellite imagery and drone surveys comparing the forest over the past six months confirmed that nearly 400 hectares of reserve forest had been encroached upon and extensively damaged.

During the visit, the minister inspected the affected sites on the ground, reviewed drone footage and assessed the challenges faced by frontline forest personnel in protecting the reserve.

Directing officials to begin restoration work immediately, Mallabaruah asked the Ecological Task Force to undertake plantation drives and ecological rehabilitation in coordination with the Forest Department to regenerate the degraded forest.

He also ordered measures to strengthen forest protection infrastructure, including upgrading existing forest camps, improving approach roads to vulnerable locations and constructing an additional access road to enable quicker deployment of personnel. He said poor road connectivity had delayed intervention in some areas, allowing illegal activities to continue.

To enhance security, the minister instructed the Assam Police and the Forest Battalion to maintain continuous surveillance in vulnerable stretches and establish additional camps in areas where forest destruction has been reported.

Reiterating the government's commitment to protecting the state's forests, Mallabaruah said no further destruction would be tolerated and assured frontline forest personnel of full government support while carrying out their legal duties.

Responding to concerns raised by field staff, he said forest officials should carry out their responsibilities with confidence despite operational challenges, adding that recent public statements had affected the morale of forest personnel and members of the Forest Battalion.

Addressing the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh boundary issue, the minister said political and administrative mechanisms were already in place to resolve border disputes, but stressed that forest destruction could not be justified under any circumstances. He noted that the Gauhati High Court had also made it clear that environmental damage could not be defended on the grounds of a boundary dispute.

Mallabaruah directed officials to initiate legal action wherever unlawful encroachment, trespass or destruction of forest land occurs within Assam's jurisdiction and said all such incidents should be dealt with strictly under the law.

Plantation and ecological restoration work in the affected areas is set to begin immediately, alongside infrastructure upgrades and the deployment of additional security personnel to prevent further encroachment and strengthen protection of the reserve forest.