Digboi: People’s organisations and environmental groups in Tinsukia district have welcomed the recent reshuffle in the State Forest Department, saying the move follows months of public concern over the functioning of the Doomdooma Forest Division.
Activists said the transfer of officials has brought a sense of relief among residents and environmental groups that had repeatedly flagged alleged administrative lapses, weak enforcement and irregularities affecting forest protection in the division.
Organisations and concerned citizens from Digboi, Pengaree, Philobari and Kakopather had for months sought administrative intervention, alleging that a series of anomalies and instances of official incompetence had weakened efforts to safeguard forests and maintain the fragile ecological balance of the region.
The demand gradually expanded into a broader public campaign, with repeated appeals and representations, including through social media, urging authorities to address the situation.
According to a notification issued by the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department, Assam, Puspadhar Borgohain, AFS, earlier serving as Divisional Forest Officer of the Sivasagar Social Forestry Division, has been posted as the new Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Doomdooma Division.
In a corresponding transfer, Mriganka Bora, AFS, who had been heading the Doomdooma Division, has been moved and posted as Divisional Forest Officer of the Sivasagar Social Forestry Division.
Local organisations said Bora’s tenure in the Doomdooma Division had been marked by a series of incidents that raised public concern over forest management.
Among the most serious was a large forest fire that ravaged significant stretches near the Nazirating tourist destination under Digboi police station, raising questions about preparedness and response mechanisms for forest fires in the area.
The period also witnessed tensions at an alleged illegal mining site in the Nazirating area under the Doomdooma range. According to reports, a forest team led by a forester from Pengaree, who was reportedly unfamiliar with the terrain, faced resistance from local residents. The situation escalated rapidly, with the team reportedly surrounded by an agitated crowd before managing to leave the area.
Environmental groups also pointed to a major blaze in the Noloni Reserve Forest that destroyed hundreds of hollong saplings in a plantation area. Activists had criticised what they described as delays of several days in reporting the incident and initiating remedial action.
Concerns were further compounded by repeated allegations of illegal intra-state timber movement, which local organisations said pointed to deeper gaps in forest monitoring and enforcement.
Meanwhile, Rohini Kumar Das, AFS, serving earlier as Divisional Forest Officer of the Nagaon Social Forestry Division, has been posted as Divisional Forest Officer of the Digboi Division.
The transfer of B.V. Sandeep, IFS, from the Digboi Division to the office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force, Assam, as Deputy Conservator of Forests has also drawn attention within administrative circles, as the officer had assumed charge of the Digboi Division less than a year ago.
Environmental organisations, however, said their primary concern had been the situation in the Doomdooma Division. They expressed hope that the new leadership would strengthen enforcement, improve transparency and work more closely with local communities to safeguard forests and wildlife habitats.
They also emphasised that protecting the forests of upper Assam would require sustained administrative accountability as well as active public participation to preserve the region’s ecology.