HT Correspondent
KHERONI, June 17: Serious allegations have surfaced against Harsing Kramsa, the Ranger of Ouguri Forest Range under the Hamren Forest Division, who is also the brother of Sarthe Kramsa, Chairperson of the Forest Board of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC). Local residents have accused Ranger Kramsa of being complicit in widespread environmental destruction at Khursing Hill (Mandir) in the Ouguri Range, causing a wave of public outrage across the region.
According to the Tharakunchi Land Protection Committee and the Tharakunchi Village Development Committee, Ranger Kramsa is allegedly facilitating illegal stone extraction operations in collaboration with well-connected stone mafias based in Guwahati. These mafias, reportedly operating under his patronage, have been aggressively cutting into Khursing Hill to extract stone and sand gravel. Eyewitness reports from local villagers confirm that unauthorized roads have even been constructed to aid the ongoing extraction and transport of resources. On visiting the area, villagers found clear signs of environmental devastation, including the felling of large trees and degradation of forest land, prompting an urgent call for government intervention.
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The allegations become even more serious in light of Ranger Kramsa’s past. Before his posting to the Ouguri Range, he served as the in-charge Ranger of the Southern Forest Range at Kheroni, where he was reportedly involved in another scandal linked to illegal sand extraction. Locals from that area recall hundreds of trucks extracting sand daily from nearby rivers under his watch, significantly harming the region’s ecological balance. Despite growing complaints at the time, no meaningful action was taken, further fueling suspicions of official complicity or negligence.
The local committees have now made a formal appeal to Tuliram Ronghang, Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, who directly oversees the forest department, and to Executive Member D. Uphing Maslai, the elected representative from the Amri MAC Constituency. They are demanding immediate cessation of all hill-cutting and stone extraction activities, as well as disciplinary action against Ranger Harsing Kramsa for his alleged involvement in facilitating this environmental exploitation.
In response to the growing outrage and public pressure, KAAC CEM Tuliram Ronghang has taken swift action. As per the latest reports, he has ordered an immediate halt to all illegal stone and sand extraction activities at Khursing Hill. Moreover, the movement of vehicles and trucks linked to these operations has been suspended, signaling a firm stance from the administration.
Despite these measures, the public remains vigilant and insistent on accountability and justice. Community leaders and environmental activists are urging the authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into Ranger Kramsa’s actions, both in Ouguri and during his tenure in Kheroni. The people of Tharakunchi and surrounding areas continue to demand justice for the irreparable damage inflicted upon the once-pristine Khursing Hill forest ecosystem, and are calling for sustainable protection of the region’s natural resources going forward.
