HT Correspondent
HOJAI, Jan 9: After the successful historic movement to protect the Dobaka Reserve Forest, this time the AAMSU Hojai District Committee has launched a movement to protect the Hawaipur Reserve Forest, a press release issued by Manowar Hussain, chief advisor, AAMSU Hojai District Unit stated here.
As per the release, the Hojai and Lanka Municipal Boards have set up a garbage dumping ground near the Hawaipur Reserve Forest, which is part of the Kopili Valley Reserve Forest under the South Nagaon Forest Division.
This has posed a threat to the lives of wild animals, including elephants, and has also led to air, water, and soil pollution in the reserve forest.
Locals, including students, have suffered from respiratory diseases, skin diseases, cancer, and even death, the release added.
Release stated that the AAMSU Hojai District Committee, led by its chief advisor Manowar Hussain and district president Khabir Ahmed Laskar, launched a protest demanding the relocation of the garbage dumping ground.
On September 13, a delegation from the committee submitted a memorandum to the union minister of environment, forests, and climate change in Delhi.
On October 25, the committee staged a protest in Srimanta Sankardeva Nagar, the district headquarters, and submitted a memorandum to the chief minister, forest minister, and principal chief conservator of forests of Assam.
The central government reportedly has sent three letters to investigate the matter and submit a report, however no action has been taken.
The release further added that “on thursday, a team led by Hemendra Hazarika, Joint Director, and Todma James Singh, Environmental Researcher, from the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, Government of India, arrived at the reserve forest for an investigation.”
“The AAMSU Hojai District Committee has provided the investigation team with sufficient legal and logical information about the complaint,” it further stated. The committee has vowed to continue its struggle until the issue is resolved.