At a time when the entire nation has united to plant saplings under the Prime Minister's 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign, a sad incident of illegal tree felling has been reported from Assam, where state Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma is spearheading the 'Amrit Brikshya Andolan.'

Reportedly, as many as 14 trees were illegally felled in the famed Molai Forest, the world's largest single-handedly man-made forest in Kokilamukh, Jorhat district.

"As many as 14 trees have been felled by timber smugglers who entered the forest during the night," said Padmashree Jadav Payeng, credited with creating the Molai Forest.

"They came in motorboats via the river and left the same way with the trees," Payeng added while speaking to Raj Phukan, an Environmental Writer, who is also the founder of Indigenous People's Climate Justice Forum.

According to reports, the 14 trees in the Molai Forest were felled on August 19, 2024, night, and the incident came to light the next day.

"I urge the Assam government to act strictly against the timber smugglers responsible for the felling of these trees and to punish them according to the law," Payeng added.

Click to watch Jadav Payeng's appeal

It is worth mentioning that the famed forest, also a tourist hotspot, is home to a wide range of ecosystems, including various animals and plants, some of which are considered endangered.

The forest takes pride in having Royal Bengal tigers, Indian rhinoceroses, Asian elephants, deer, monkeys, wild boars, vultures, and over 50 different species of birds.

Over 100 species of trees and plants, including Arjun, silk, cotton, valcol, Pride of India, royal poinciana, and moj, are also found in the forest.

There are also over 300 hectares of bamboo in the forest, which help stabilise riverbanks.

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