Jafflong's beauty degraded
We are dismayed by reports of a blatant onslaught on Jafflong's pristine environment that has always attracted tourists and nature lovers. Now illegal stone extraction of the Pyain river is threatening the ecological balance and natural beauty of this spot. What is more outrageous is that this unhindered ravaging is being carried out with the collusion of the local administration and ruling party men.
The extraction of stone with the use of mechanised equipment causes harm to the ecosystem, biodiversity and livelihoods of people living along the rivers. Even nearby tea gardens have been adversely affected with about 300 acres of a tea estate being devoured by the river unnaturally eroded by stone extraction. Despite it being the peak season for tourism, the number of tourists is dwindling as the aggressive process of extraction has turned the area around the Pyain river into an eyesore.
It is shocking that despite a High Court order declaring such stone extraction using machines illegal, these activities are going on unchallenged. This paper's investigative report that includes pictures and video clips reveals how blatantly this river is being devastated.
For a nation that claims in various international forums, to give the environment the highest priority, it is exasperating that such indiscriminate degrading of rivers is being carried on with complete impunity. The government must now clamp down on criminal elements within its own administration and party who continue to flout the High Court's order. If it is sincere about protecting our natural treasures, the government must put a stop to any activities that threaten the delicate ecological balance of areas like that around the River Pyain of Jafflong.
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