Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: The Dhubri Forest Division has posted an official tender to clear 407 mature trees at the proposed Adani Power Limited site in Chapar. This project, a 3,200 MW thermal power plant, puts a direct price tag on local ecology. The contract for felling, logging, and transporting the timber carries an estimated cost of Rs 8,00,300.90.
Interested bidders must file their paperwork by October 28 at the office of the Divisional Forest Officer. The state is running this process under the Assam Public Procurement Act of 2017 and the associated 2021 rules. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma laid the foundation stone for the facility on September 20. He claims it will drive industrial growth in Lower Assam.
Critics remain skeptical. Activists want to know if a proper Environmental Impact Assessment took place before planners authorized the site clearance. The tender document lacks details on tree species, age, or specific plans for compensatory afforestation. Citizens worry this will mirror the Dighalipukhuri flyover disaster. During that project, authorities attempted to move heritage trees, but most died after relocation. As one report noted, "The episode remains a cautionary example in the debate over whether tree transplantation and compensatory plantation can adequately make up for the loss of mature trees."
The forest department has yet to release information on how it will monitor the survival of new saplings. The public lacks answers on the specific ecological value of the trees marked for the axe. Officials project industrial gains. Meanwhile, the environmental footprint grows.
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