Villagers in Nagaland stop Assam Forest officials from cutting areca nut trees

Guwahati: Residents of Tchuchanphen village in Nagaland intervened to stop Assam Forest Department officials from cutting down areca nut trees in the Madhupur area, a region recognized by the Nagaland government.

According to Uriamghat border magistrate Tsenthungo E Ngullie, the local administration received reports around 3:40 p.m. on August 20 about tree-felling activities carried out by Assam Forest personnel in the disputed area.

Ngullie visited the site shortly after receiving the information and found that approximately 70 villagers had gathered to halt the operation.

By the time the villagers intervened, the forest personnel had already felled around 50 to 60 areca nut trees.

Ngullie noted that the Assam team appeared to be preparing the land for planting other types of trees.

The border magistrate stated that Assam authorities had not informed their Nagaland counterparts before initiating the activity.

However, during the on-site discussion, both parties agreed to maintain the current situation without making further changes until an official meeting could be held between the two sides.