Felling of trees and earth cutting are continuing unabated at Dehing Patkai wildlife sanctuary at Tinsukia in Upper Assam district, sources said.

The sources said timber smugglers are cutting hollong trees at Golai in upper Dehing area of Digboi forest division.

Devojit Moran, the secretary of Green Bud society, an environmental NGO, alleged, “Officials of the forest department are hand-in-glove with the timber smugglers. Every day the sanctuary is losing its forest cover because of rampant cutting down of trees and earth cutting. If this continues then Dehing Patkai will lose it richness.”

The sources said hollong, tita sopa, mekai and hollock trees are targeted by the timber mafia.

The sanctuary covers an area of 111.19km (42.93 square mile) rainforest. It is part of the Assam valley tropical wet evergreen forest and consists of Jeypore, upper Dehing river and Dirok rainforest.

Moran said Dehing Patkai forms the largest stretch of tropical lowland rainforests in India.

“But because of felling, it is losing its green cover. The government should look into the matter,” Moran said.

According to sources, felling is rampant in Kurka, Barofootia, Jorajan, Borjan, Powai and Lakhipathar under Digboi forest division.

Hollong, the state tree of Assam, is mostly targeted because of its high demand.

However, the forest department has allegedly chosen to ignore the anomalies that have been brought to light several times by wildlife activists.

Dehing Patkai has become a happy hunting ground for unscrupulous timber smugglers.

Atiqur Rahman, the divisional forest officer in-charge, Digboi forest division, told The Telegraph, “I am not aware of the felling but some days ago we held some trucks at Powai. We will look into the matter.”