Lok Sabha Question No. 1150 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-22
Subject: Bio-diversity Hotspots
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Pradyut Bordoloi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST & CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1150

TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.11.2019

## Bio-diversity Hotspots

## 1150. SHRI PRADYUT BORDOLOI:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether very rich bio-diversity Hotspots exist in the Tinsukia, Assam under Digboi forest division  in  its  Reserved  Forests  and  Dehing  Patkai  wildlife  sanctuary,  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (b) whether as many as 17 notified Reserved Forests and more than eight Proposed Reserved Forests besides the Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary fall under Digboi forest division, if so, the detailsthereof;
- (c) whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  an  organized  coal  mafia  with  the  criminal connivance  of  certain  forest  officials  and  local  administration  has  been  carrying  on deforestation  and  wide  scale'Rat  Hole'  coal  mining  activities  with  the  mechanized equipment  inside  the  reserved  forest  for  more  than  three  years  now,  if  so,  the  details thereof; and
- (d) whether the Government proposes to conduct an urgent inquiry and depute a fact finding team to these affected areas in Tinsukia to protect and restore the bio-diversity hotspots and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

- (a) Yes Sir. As per the information received from Government of Assam, Dehing Patkai  Wildlife  Sanctuary  in  Digboi  and  Dibrugarh  Forest  Division,which  is classified  as  'Assam  Valley  Tropical  Wet  Evergreen  Forest'  was  notified  on 13 th June  2004.  It  is  home  to  faunal  species  like  elephant,  Tiger,  Hollock Gibbon,  Slow  Loris,  Chinese  Pangolin  leopard,  reptiles,  beetles,  butterflies, moths,  lesser  cats,  hornbill  etc.    The  floral  species  present  in  the  region includeHollong,  Mekai,  Nahar,  Keteki,  Togor,  Champa,  Ajar  Tree,  Orchids, Ferns etc.

- (b) As  per  the  information  received  from  Government  of  Assam,  there  are  15 Reserve  Forests  (RF)  and  6  Proposed  Reserve  Forests  (PRF)  in  the  Digboi Division. On 13 th June 2004 the Government of Assam has declared an area of 111.9 Sq. km forest area as the 'Dehing Patkai Sanctuary' of which 2/3 rd area falls  in  Digboi  Division  and  1/3 rd fall  in  Dibrugarh  Division.  The  details  of RF/PRF in Digboi Forest Division are as below:

## Reserve Forest under Digboi Forest Division

|   Sl. No. | Name of the Reserve Forest                             |   Area of Reserve Forest(in Ha.) |
|-----------|--------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
|         1 | Upper Dehing Reserve Forest (East Block) 1 st Addition |                         13173.8  |
|         2 | Digboi Reserve Forest (East Block)                     |                            70.2  |
|         3 | Tirap Reserve Forest                                   |                          1455.6  |
|         4 | Namphai Reserve Forest + 1 st Addition                 |                          2117.41 |
|         5 | Tipong Reserve Forest                                  |                           445.34 |
|         6 | Lekhapani Reserve Forest                               |                          1396.76 |
|         7 | Paharpur Reserve Forest                                |                           166    |
|         8 | Upper Dehing Reserve Forest (West Block)               |                         27485.1  |
|         9 | Bogapani Reserve Forest                                |                            97.17 |
|        10 | Digboi Reserve Forest (WB)                             |                           972.47 |
|        11 | Dirok Reserve Forest                                   |                          3042.51 |
|        12 | Tinkopani Reserve Forest                               |                          3033.6  |
|        13 | Kotha Reserve Forest                                   |                          1133.6  |
|        14 | Mkumpani Reserve Forest                                |                           485    |
|        15 | 1 st Addition to Dirak Reserve Forest                  |                           676.14 |

## Proposed Reserve Forest under Digboi Forest Division

|   Sl. No. | Name of Reserve Forest           |   Area of Reserve Forest(in Ha.) |
|-----------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
|         1 | Saleki PRF                       |                          2940    |
|         2 | 1 st Additional to Triap PRF     |                          3025    |
|         3 | 1 st Additional to Tipong PRF    |                          2020    |
|         4 | Dalai PRF                        |                           244.15 |
|         5 | Deosali PRF                      |                           220    |
|         6 | 1 st Additional to Makumpani PRF |                            55    |

- (c) Yes, the Government of Assam informed that the State Government is aware of illegal coal mining in forest areas of Digboi Division namely, Compartment No. 2 of Namphai Reserve Forest (RF), Tinkapani RF, Tipong RF/PRF, Tirap RF/ PRF, Lekhpani RF and Saleki PRF. Connivance of forest officials in illegal coal mining has not been reported. However, action has been initiated against certain forest  officials  of  Digboi  Division  for  dereliction  of  duty.The  details  of  areas where  illegal  coal  miming  was  detected  by  forest  officials  in  the  recent  past during combing operations are given below:

|   Sl. No. | Combed up area RF/PRF   |   Area of the RF/PRF |   Illegal mining in Hact |
|-----------|-------------------------|----------------------|--------------------------|
|         1 | Tirap PRF               |              3025    |                    40.47 |
|         2 | Tipong PRF              |              2020    |                    70.2  |
|         3 | Tipong RF               |               445.34 |                    18.7  |

Government of Assam has informed that the Rat Holes, which were dug, were filled up and planting of seedlings was carried out.

- (d) As per the information received from Government of Assam, the State Forest Departmentconducts  field  inspection/enquiry  from  time  to  time  to  check  all kinds of illegalities in forest areas including illegal coal mining and the reports are  submitted  to  the  concerned  authorities  and  the  State  Government  for requisite  action.  Further,  the  following  measures  are  taken  up  by  the  Assam Forest Department to prevent illegal Coal Mining:
- i. Seizure of coal,  vehicles  and  Machineries  and  apprehending  offenders indulging in illegal Coal Mining.
- ii. Deployment of armed personnel of Assam Forest Protection Force in the affected Forest Divisions.
- iii. Coordinated efforts involving the line departments of the Government/ concerned  agencies  such  as  Police,  Civil  Administration  etc.  being made.

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