Researchers have come up with the alarming find thatAssamhas lost around 269 thousand hectares (2,690 sqkm) of tree cover area in the last two decades (2001 to 2020), which is close to twice the size of Delhi having an area of 1,484 sqkm.
This has resulted in a significant rise in the minimum and maximum temperatures and human-animal conflict in the state.
According to a report of satellite data analysed by researchers at the University of Maryland,Karbi Anglongtops the list by losing over 97 thousand hectares followed byDima Hasaoover 63.2 thousand hectares, Sonitpur 17.4 thousand hectares, Tinsukia 13.2 thousand hectares and Kokrajhar 10.4 thousand hectares.
The state lost its highest tree cover in 2016 (25.4 thousand hectares) followed by nearly 23 thousand hectares in 2014 and 18.3 thousand hectares in 2020. The tree cover in Assam was 35% in 2000, which was 2.75 million hectares.
Guwahati lost 1.02 thousand hectares of tree cover from 2001 to 2020. Pointing to the felling of over 300 trees for the construction of flyovers and roads in the capital city and its adjacent Palashbari area, Das said “development at the cost of Environment is worthless”.