Resubelpara(Meghalaya ), Aug 7: Acting quickly after being tipped off by locals of the presence of a illegal saw mill in the village of Nishangram Babupara, the state forest department yesterday laid a siege to the place and recovered a huge amount of raw timber as well as machineries being used in the mill.
As per locals, the timber mill had been operating illegally for a few months, mostly with support from local smugglers who were destroying local forests from around the Dainadubi area to support the mill.
Earlier the forest department received information of the presence of a saw mill in the village, close to the border with Assam. The mill was allegedly being run by some residents from Assam with the help of some local smugglers.
Upon receiving the information, the department, along with police personnel that form the district task force led a raid to the village and seized a huge amount of timber as well as machines that were being used in the mill and brought these back to the range forest office in Dainadubi in NGH.
Meanwhile the fast action of the forest department has been hailed by locals with many feeling that the action would help prevent the destruction of forests in and around the area. However they also hoped that such fast and strict action is also taken against such criminal acts taking place in other parts of the district as well.
The saw mill has now been closed down and all timber and machineries seized by the department.
