An influential Meghalaya pressure group on Monday objected to the “proposed handover” of lush forest land in Ri Bhoi district for industrial development by the NPP-led state government.

In a two-page memorandum submitted to the director of the state soil and water conservation department, the Shillong-based Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO) has flagged its “strong opposition to the proposed handover of the lush forest land known as CTI Byrni for the purpose of industrial development”.

The HITO asserted that the "decision" would result in “devastating environmental, social, and economic impacts that will undermine the well-being of our community and threaten the health of future generations”.

HITO president Donbok Dkhar told The Telegraph that a delegation led by their organisation’s vice-president Shaniah Nongrum submitted the formal objection to the "conversion of the forest area into an industrial zone".

The director said he was not aware of any such development, Dkhar said.

The complaint does not mention the land to be handed over but the HITO president said the move involved the handing over of 72 hectares under the Conservation Training Institute in Byrnihat.

The said land is under the soil and water conservation department and is about 80km from capital Shillong. According to HITO sources, the name of a Maharashtra company is doing the rounds.

Dkhar said the handover would lead to significant consequences, including loss of biodiversity, deforestation, habitat destruction, rise in pollution, impact on climate change, contamination of water sources and threats to public health and safety.

The HITO complaint said that as an organisation dedicated to the preservation and management of natural resources, it found the “move incompatible with the soil and water conservation department’s mission to protect soil, water, and vegetation”.

The proposed conversion of forest land into industrial use contradicts the core values of conservation and stewardship that the department upholds, the HITO said, urging the department to reconsider the proposal and “prioritise the health and sustainability of our community, the surrounding environment, and the well-being of generations to come”.

The HITO complaint states that the loss of forest contributes to climate change “as trees play a crucial role in carbon sequestration, helping to mitigate global warming” and that “ many community members depend on the natural resources of this area for their livelihoods, including agriculture and sustainable forestry, which would be adversely affected by industrialisation”.