Continuing their effort to fight for the overall wellbeing of Mebo area in Arunachal Pradesh, especially in the field of land boundary disputes, river-water ownership and restriction on other natural resources; the Mebo Area Asi Among Kebang (MAAAK) convened an executive meeting at Mebo town recently under the chairmanship of Bodong Yirang, secretary general, ABK (Apex) cum retired director, elementary education, Govt of Arunachal Pradesh.
During the beginning of the meeting, president Bani Apum and general secretary MAAAK Osu Borang spoke and updated the meeting attendants about the present status of work undertaken by the NGO which was formed around two years back on public mandate when issues of boundary dispute arose with the sanctuary’s authority. Apum and Borang said that, they have written to the deputy commissioner, Pasighat twice on boundary issues of D Ering Wildlife Sanctuary and they are still awaiting response. They also said that, they are yet to get the complete/original map and official documents of DEWS while it was renamed from erstwhile Lali Wildlife Sanctuary to present D Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary during October 1986 where territory of the sanctuary was expanded.
While Todol Pertin, joint secretary ABK (HQ), who earlier had joined in an area inspection of DEWS boundary along the Assam border comprising of PRI and ABK leaders from Arunachal and representatives from Assam, said that, the restrictions of hunting and fishing are only concentrated in the left bank side (Mebo).
The sanctuary’s areas near Assam are fully grazed by cattle covering several kilometres inside the DEWS. Pertin also said that, there was no public hearing while the land of Jopong was annexed with the DEWS. While, goan bura of Borguli village Obang Badu, said that the sanctuary’s DFO is playing a deceitful tactics in suppressing the villagers as a case was registered against GBs and village secretary of Borguli village a year ago when some of village people had set afire the thatches of the sanctuary. However, Badu also pleaded MAAAK to take up drastic measures against excessive use of inverters in fishing (through electrocution), dynamite fishing and poisoning of river etc.
Stressing upon urgent need of taking the matter of sanctuary’s boundary with the government, Apel Tayeng, chief adviser, MAAAK cum adviser ABK (apex) said that, huge funds meant for the development and protection of DEWS are being mostly misused by the DFO.
As per the RTI documents collected, no proper work has been carried out by the sanctuary officials whereas crores of funds has been allotted to DEWS in last few years. “Even requested documents of certain schemes and projects, besides sanctuary’s original map through RTI, are also not provided or are being evaded by the DFO knowingly just to conceal his misdeeds” added Tayeng.
