North Bengal Reserved forestry is on the brink of ruin

SANTANU BASU

North Bengal comprises the mesmerising snow-clad peaks of the Himalayas in the Darjeeling district, the Dooars in Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri districts, and the Himalayan foothills extending through Darjeeling and Cooch Behar, which also borders Bangladesh. Most of its districts are interspersed with numerous large and small rivers and more than two hundred tea gardens. The region is nourished by the Himalayas and the Dooars, and by rivers such as the Teesta, Jaldhaka, Mahananda, Leish, Ghish, Chel, Mal, and many others. The Himalayas, foothills, rivers, rivulets, and tributaries together make North Bengal one of the most enchanting regions in the world.

Traditionally, the climate of North Bengal was soothing, with abundant rainfall during the monsoon. Geographically, it connects Assam on one side and serves as a gateway to Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, and the North-Eastern states on the other. However, today North Bengal is facing an unprecedented environmental and ecological crisis, unlike anything seen before.

Both the central and state governments have gone berserk in indiscriminately felling large forest canopies for the expansion of national and state highways, blindly replicating the plains-centric development model in the fragile Dooars region. The Dooars, once renowned since British times for their dense forests, have now turned into killing fields of trees. The extent of deforestation has significantly altered the region’s salubrious climate—winters are no longer chilling, rainfall has reduced considerably, and summers have become unbearable, resembling the harsh climates of Rajasthan, Delhi, or Jamnagar.

The primary reason behind this drastic transformation is the unchecked and indiscriminate felling of trees. As a result, the rich forest cover, perennial streams, numerous rivers, and even the tea gardens that define North Bengal’s identity are no longer environmentally sustainable. Serious attack in the form of denudation of trees, encroachments, destruction of its ecology , indistriminate construction upon the reserved forestry have taken huge toll the  likes of  Jadapara National park, Mahananda sanctuary, Garumara national Park  among others that raise the questions of its future.

Jaldapara National Park, along with six other national parks, located in Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri districts  are not only a symbol of natural beauty but also a rich ecological and biodiversity hotspot. It is regarded as one of the top biodiversity hotspots in India, famous for its precious one-horned rhinoceros, which is the main attraction for international tourists. However, this invaluable ecosystem is steadily being destroyed at the hands of contractors, land grabbers, political mafias, and even government agencies.

The Torsa and Sankosh rivers flow along two sides of Jaldapara National Park, creating a perfect natural habitat for rhinos and elephants. Over the last fifteen years, large numbers of resorts, pubs, hotels, makeshift structures, and even permanent concrete houses have mushroomed in and around the park without proper restrictions. The growth rate of such resorts and hotels is alarmingly high, and if unchecked, these illegal concrete constructions will soon devour the forest and its wildlife.

The abode of rhinos, elephants, and leopards is under severe threat. Environmentalists have repeatedly expressed serious concern over such encroachments, yet the construction of concrete structures continues unabated. The Supreme Court has frequently issued directives banning any kind of construction within a 1-kilometre radius of reserved forests, but these orders are being openly violated.

The Assistant Wildlife Warden of Jaldapara National Park, Nabi Kanta Jha, stated that the issue of mushrooming permanent constructions has been referred to an expert committee, which will take a decision. The District Magistrate, R. Bimala, also stated that any construction within a 1-kilometre radius will be examined by the expert committee.

Despite these assurances, 30 to 35 resorts have sprung up, flouting all rules of the Land and Land Reforms Department in East Middle Madarihat and Umacharanpur.

The regulation that mandates a minimum distance of one kilometer between forest land and resort construction has been flagrantly violated by resort owners off and on with impunity.   Due to the absence of clearly demarcated forest boundaries, owners have constructed resorts indiscriminately, with some even built inside forest areas. These violations have occurred without proper vigilance or intervention from either the Forest Department or the Land and Land Reforms Department.

A local resident, Mr. Pradip Barman, stated that setting aside the one-kilometer distance requirement, in some cases the distance between the forest and the resorts is merely 15 to 20 meters, or even less. Such blatant violations highlight serious lapses in monitoring and enforcement by the concerned authorities. He wondered to asky , how did they obtain NoC for the construction of resorts!

In 2022, the Hon’ble Supreme Court categorically directed that no construction shall be permitted within a radius of 1 kilometre of the protected area, and that any construction undertaken in violation of this direction would be liable to demolition by the local authorities. However, despite this clear mandate, the order has not been enforced on the ground.

More than 35 resorts have already been constructed within the prohibited zone, and several others are currently under construction, without any effective restriction or intervention by the Land & Land Reforms Office (LLRO) or the local Panchayati Raj institutions. The absence of regulatory action suggests serious administrative failure.

It appears that officials ranging from the District Magistrate’s office to the LLRO and Panchayati Raj administrators have failed to discharge their statutory duties, thereby enabling influential resort owners to openly violate the applicable norms. These violations are occurring in broad daylight, undermining the authority of the Supreme Court’s directions and raising grave concerns regarding governance, accountability, and rule of law.

It is not only the case that politically influential individuals have circumvented the Supreme Court’s 1-km norms in the matter of construction in eco sensitive zones in Madarihat national park zone to amass vast amounts of unaccounted wealth through such construction of illegal resorts. Of far greater concern is the fact that the devastating disaster that struck the Darjeeling Himalayas in June, barely six months ago, was precipitated by the unregulated proliferation of thousands of homestays on ecologically fragile Himalayan slopes. Intense rainfall caused these structurally unsound establishments to collapse, while subsequent flooding washed away entire clusters of constructions The apex court imposed a prohibition on large-scale construction activities in the districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Kurseong, as well as across extensive hilly regions of Sikkim with an aim to protect the Himalays from the savage onslaught of political mafias, contractors, real estate developers However, attempts were made to circumvent the Supreme Court’s directive through the filing of counter-cases and counter-affidavits, with the ulterior aim of diluting the court’s strictures—a move that amounted to a serious sabotage of judicial verdicts and the voices of environmentalists. In multiple instances, the Court’s orders were openly disregarded, allowing illegal constructions to continue unchecked. This persistent non-compliance has led to severe ecological degradation across the Himalayan region. The issue is not limited to cases such as the Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary in Alipurduar district, where political mafias and ruling authorities have reportedly worked in tandem to undermine judicial directives; similar nefarious activities can be observed across the country. At the end of the day , ecology and environment stand the casualty.

Recent field surveys have revealed systematic exploitation of tribal agricultural lands in Khauchandpara, in Madarihat where politically and economically influential outsiders are establishing resorts on land legally reserved for tribal use. A mapping of resorts are galore in Nagrakata, Mainaguri, Dhupguri, Kalchini, Jhalang, Jaldhaka, Caron, Hasimara, Dalgaon bordering Bhutan, Malbazar, Matelli in Alipurduar  and Jalpaiguri districts.   Legal restrictions are ignored  and  substantial financial gains are made by the outsiders at the cost of marginalized   tribal population in dooars. Undoubtedly these resorts block the traditional elephants corridor that is stretched to Bhutan; The straying of pachyderms is definitely linked with such mushrooming of resorts, majority of which are illegal.

Lands reserved exclusively for tribal agriculture are being transferred to outsiders through informal agreements for these resorts.Tribal people are often persuaded to consent in exchange for a  percentage of profits.Investors include doctors, school teachers, rice mill owners, iron merchants, and petroleum dealers spread all over North Bengal.Many operate remotely and discreetly to avoid scrutiny. Ownership on paper remains with the tribals to evade legal checks.

Tribal lands are meant solely for agricultural purposes; commercial conversion requires approvals from the Backward Welfare Ministry and Land &Land Reforms Offices in the two districts.General category individuals are debarred from obtaining conversion certificates, but this restriction is routinely ignored.Certain officials in LLRO facilitate illegal land transfers in exchange for bribes.Approximately 20 resorts have been developed on tribal lands in Khauchandpara.Tax exemptions meant for tribal landowners are exploited, resulting in potential tax evasion of hundreds of crores.The practice perpetuates economic and social injustice against tribal communities. In Malbazar in Aliporeduar district designated as  the eco sensitive zone of Kranti block many other resorts were developed after encroaching  Neora river valley  raising question as to how the realtor could develop such resorts flouting river and forest laws particularly by blocking the river flows ? Recently the forest dept. have started surveying the eco sensitive zone in the radius of 1 km of Garumara National Park in Lataguri. Matelli, Mal and Kranti blocks under Malbazar subdivision and the sprouting up in eco sensitive zone are under the scanner.  Both the banks of river Neora river have been encroached upon to construct as many as eight resorts. How the vest land is converted into commercial venture and that too with illegal trade license issued from local panchayat office?  Thecity-based businessmen run the business through proxy!

Last year the forest department demolished the boundary wall of certain illegal resorts; then the resort owners applied for lease in the forest dept. and the government formed a committee to assess the vulnerability of this ecologically vulnerable zones.  But the survey could not be completed because of pressure exerted by the resort owners. As many as eight luxurious resorts have sprang up, needless to say after forcibly occupying river bed in Dooars areas of  Baradighi under Malbazar police station.

Again in  the eco-sensitive zones of Gulma and Tarabari—bordering the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary—illegal multi-storey buildings, liquor shops, massage parlours, cafés, and homestays are proliferating ignoring the same  2022 Supreme Court order banning construction within a 1 km buffer of forest reserves. But added to such mushrooming of buildings in this eco sensitive zone , a stone-crushing unit near the Gulma River now further aggravates  the noise pollution, disturbing both wildlife and residents.

Divisional Forest Officer Viswanath Pratap of Jalpaiguri district  admitted that enforcement efforts are hindered by “political and criminal interference.” Local panchayat officials too quietly concede that the sheer money power of land mafias and political touts is enough to override building codes and forest regulations. Power of capital and power of political masters demonstrate the fang to destroy the nature and everything.

Land prices in Sevoke and adjacent areas have soared to Rs.4–5 crore per acre, spurring even more aggressive encroachments. Riverbanks and forest buffers are rapidly transforming into urban entertainment corridors.

Perhaps most alarming is the rise in liquor outlets within these forest buffer zones. The easy availability of alcohol and drugs are drawing school and college students—especially dropouts—into a dangerous spiral. Street brawls among the intoxicated youths have become common, raising serious concerns about the area’s social health.

             As environmental degradation accelerates and land mafias tighten their grip, Siliguri teeters on the edge of irreversible collapse—ecologically, legally, and morally. The degeneration of Naxalbari’s revolutionary legacy into a playground for criminals is more than tragic—it’s a warning to the rest of the country.

Land grabbing in and around Naxalbari and Siliguri has reached alarming proportions. Markets like Bengaijot and Futani More—built as alternatives to the original Naxalbari market—now sit atop land originally owned by the State PWD, Indian Railways, and even on the banks of the Bataria River. Agricultural canals have been filled in, and roads like the 34-km PWD stretch from Naxalbari to Panitanki (on the Nepal border) have been narrowed due to unregulated construction.

In one of the most audacious incidents, armed miscreants stormed the Ramakrishna Mission on Sevoke Road, Siliguri last year. They disabled CCTV cameras, assaulted Ashram members, and attempted to seize land documents. As far as media reports, and public evidences are concerned, the miscreants even brandished revolvers to the Ashramites to snatch the land papers.   Public outrage and media coverage prompted intervention from the Siliguri Mayor, who later helped restore the property rights to the Mission.

“If even a revered institution like Ramakrishna Mission can be targeted, what hope do ordinary citizens have?” asked Sushila Roy, a local resident. Over the past few decades, hundreds of acres of agricultural, government, and vested land have been acquired illegally—often with the silent support of local political authorities.

The Sevoke Road–Eastern Bypass corridor, a fast-growing suburban zone, has become a hub for encroachment and extortion. Multiple gangs—allegedly backed by local political leaders—extort “goon tax” from developers and property owners.

Today, the unchecked wave of land grabs and crass urbanisation in the backyard mocks the memory of India’s peasant revolution. Kurseong forest division with its different forest ranges at the foothills of the Himalayas namely Bagdogra, Ghoshpukur are reeked with serious corruptions , malfunctioning and bear anti environmental activities  so much so that open selling of hooch or liquor in broad day light  in flagrant violations of excise laws become a common affair inside the forestry . The sheer  lack of vigilance on the part of forest officials and other law enforcing agencies emboldened the hooch sellers that they continue selling the hooch and other contraband goods like drugs and marijuana till mid night inside the forestry. 

Illegal cafes, makeshift sky walks arranged by nailing the trees, and restaurants even pubs and bars sprout in the riverbed that flow in the core areas of the reserved forest imperilling the animal lives and polluting the eco sensitivity of the forests. The forest department is to unleash the campaign against nailing upon the trees and to protect the forestry, but suffers from inertia toprevent such anti forest activities.

Liquor is openly sold nearer to Tipukhola eco-tourism centre in Bagdogra range; hooch is made in different cottages inside the forests and it is seen that after  consuming the alcohol , empty bottles lie strewn on the ground of the forests ; sometimes broken glasses are also seen there. These areas are known as elephant depredations prone areas. These areas are known as elephant corridors and the smell of liquor invariably attract the elephants whose lives are endangered.

The freewheeling of hooch, cafe, beauty parlour, small bars, pubs made the situation unmanageable and uncontrollable; the city borne youths,students, young girls to middle aged men – all throng into this illegal den; Police and forest officials are fully aware about this open hooch selling.

The central forest bustee, located few metres away from Tipukhola, food shops have been shifted; in that area concrete slabs and wooden structures houses can be seen where foreign liquor are sold.

The DFO, Mr. Devesh Pandey, recently acknowledged that the forest dept. is aware of the situation, soon they will lead the crackdown.

(Views are personal. Email: santanub12@rediffmail.com)