Guwahati: In a significant stride towards dismantling illicit timber operations, the Sapatgram Forest Depot team successfully raided and seized an unauthorised band saw mill in Bhelakoba Part III. The swift operation, spearheaded by In-Charge forest officer Sahabaz Sultan, was executed based on crucial intelligence inputs provided by Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Golap Kumar Bania.
This recent seizure marks the third illegal saw mill to be dismantled by the tenacious forest team within a mere month, underscoring a relentless crackdown on timber-related crimes in the area. Alongside these illicit mills, forest officials have also impounded multiple vehicles found transporting minor minerals without valid documentation and confiscated a substantial stockpile of illegal timber.
The proactive and intensified efforts of the forest department, particularly the unwavering dedication displayed by the Sapatgram team, have garnered widespread commendation from the local community. Residents assert that the consistent presence of the department and its uncompromising zero-tolerance stance are serving as a powerful deterrent against the entrenched forest mafias operating in the region.
Forest officials have affirmed that these decisive operations are an integral component of a comprehensive departmental strategy designed to safeguard natural resources and rigorously enforce environmental laws. The department has unequivocally reaffirmed its commitment to persist with such robust actions in the forthcoming weeks, pledging to maintain full force in their endeavours.
“This is not a one-off drive. We are committed to breaking the illegal timber supply chain,” an official source declared, unequivocally emphasising the department’s resolute stance against environmental crime.
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