The illegal sawmills in the plains belt of West Garo Hills have become a case study of how a game of ‘cat and mouse’ is played between the timber smugglers and forest authorities.
A recent case that took place on Friday showed how deep the rabbit hole really was. Information was received through sources that two illegal sawmills were operating in tandem in the village of Belbari.
Although the District Forest Officer was unreachable, police promised to look into the matter in conjunction with the Forest Department. In this vein, a team was readied to raid the mills.
However, before the teams could ready themselves, the mill owners were allegedly tipped off about the impending raid, giving them enough time to dismantle the mills and move the timber to safe zones.
“Just two hours after we informed on the matter, the mills began to pack up and remove their priceless equipment. They were definitely given information,” said a source.
While this may sound like a one-off, the process is, sadly, normal. Information of impending raids seems to always reach the smugglers before any serious action can take place. Even when one or two of these illegal structures are dismantled and equipment seized, the setback for the smugglers only lasts a few weeks. The lucrative nature of the business is such that unless serious action is taken by authorities concerned with the protection of forests in the state, the ravaging of the environment will continue.
It is estimated that there are more than 100 illegal sawmills across the plains belt, with each mill requiring at least three trucks of timber per day to remain operational. All of the timber that goes into the mills comes from the hilly forest areas of Garo Hills.
With finance always being the prime consideration, these forests have very little chance of surviving.
A depleted Forest Department has been a bane for forest protectors and a boon for smugglers. The department has very limited space and even fewer people and arms. They face a daily struggle against armed smugglers hell bent on making a fast buck.
On the other hand, most of the forests come under the care of the district council. Its Forest Department has one of the worst records as protector of reserves, with the denuding of almost all dense jungles across Garo Hills testimony to this.
