Bongaigaon, July 1: The Forest Department has stepped up its drive against illegal sawmills in Assam’s Bongaigaon district following the state government’s directive to shut down all unauthorised sawmills within a week.
As part of the enforcement campaign, officials from the Abhayapuri Forest Range carried out a raid on an illegal sawmill operating at Lengtisinga in Abhayapuri and dismantled the unit.
The operation was led by Abhayapuri Range Forest Officer Shankar Ray. During the raid, forest personnel seized sawmill machinery along with a substantial quantity of timber logs and processed wooden planks found at the site.
Officials said the owner of the sawmill fled before the team arrived after allegedly learning about the enforcement action.
The raid comes in the wake of Forest Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah’s recent announcement directing the closure of all illegal sawmills across Assam within a week. The Forest Department said similar operations will continue across the state as part of its ongoing efforts to curb illegal timber activities and safeguard forest resources.
