Assam: Protests over the government’s plan to cut down 5,000 trees for a four-lane highway

Residents of Dabaka, near Hojai, have reacted angrily to the Assam government’s decision to cut down nearly 5,000 Sal trees, especially at a time when climate change is beginning to have an impact in the region.
The 13-kilometer stretch of road connecting Hojai and Karbi Anglong is known for its Bagan of Sal trees, the majority of which are over a century old.
Assam has received less rain than projected this year, and a massive deforestation push at this time could be devastating for the area.
According to recent satellite data analysed by researchers at the University of Maryland, Assam has lost 14.1 percent of its green cover due to large-scale deforestation and destruction of forest resources in the last 20 years.

Karbi Anglong is at the top of the list, losing 97.4 hectares (Kha) of green cover, followed by Dima Hasao (63.2 Kha), Sonitpur 17.4 Kha, Tinsukia 13.2 Kha, and Kokrajhar 10.4 Kha canopy cover, according to the research.
“The Assam government has drafted a proposal to strike down the forest to construct four-lane roads. The forest department has not yet allowed the felling of trees,” sources reported. Locals, however, allege that the trees in the area have been marked for felling.
Nearly 600 people live in the forest, and they are furious that the department did not consult them before deciding to ruin their environment.
Because the project is still in its early stages and has not yet been approved by the Assam Forest Department, it is unclear whether an impact assessment was done.