Tinsukia: Fresh allegations of illegal coal mining-related activities inside the Tinkupani Elephant Reserve Forest in Assam’s Tinsukia district have reignited concerns over the protection of one of Upper Assam’s ecologically sensitive wildlife habitats.
The allegations were made by Digboi-based conservationist Devajit Moran, who, in a social media post on Wednesday, claimed that roads had been constructed inside the approximately 525-hectare reserve forest under the Jagun Range of the Digboi Forest Division to facilitate illegal coal mining and tree felling.
Appealing to Assam Forest Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah, Moran urged the state government to ensure strict protection of the reserve forest, asserting that mining activities should not be allowed inside a protected elephant habitat under any circumstances. He also tagged Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Chief Minister’s Office, the Tinsukia district administration and the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in his post.
According to Moran, the Tinkupani Elephant Reserve Forest, located near the Jagun Range Forest Office, is an ecologically significant habitat known for its naturally occurring salt lick, where elephants and several other wild animals gather to obtain essential minerals.
He described the reserve as a biodiversity-rich landscape that supports elephants, Himalayan sun bears, barking deer, wild boars, jackals, porcupines, slow lorises, monkeys, squirrels, wild cats, orchids, at least eight species of snakes and hundreds of native plant species.
Moran further alleged that although the Forest Department had earlier removed 36 excavators and earth-moving machines from the reserve following public protests against alleged illegal activities, the machinery continues to remain in the Jagun area, raising fears that mining operations could resume.
He also called on the Forest Department to issue written orders explicitly prohibiting coal mining inside elephant reserve forests and to install permanent signboards identifying protected forest boundaries to improve public awareness and enforcement.
The Tinkupani Elephant Reserve Forest, also known as Tinkupani-Jengu Bari, has been at the centre of environmental concerns in recent years due to alleged illegal mining and growing anthropogenic pressure on its wildlife habitat.
The Forest Department and the Assam government had not issued any public response to the allegations at the time of filing this report.