Assam approves felling of trees outside forest areas.

Felling of Trees

Guwahati: The Assam Cabinet has approved cutting of trees outside forest areas.

This decision has been taken under the Assam Trace Outside Forest (Sustainable Management) Rules, 2022.
This was stated by the Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma.

The Chief Minister of Assam said that 71 species of trees including commonly used/commonly grown tree species and shade trees are subject to prior registration and registration as against 11 exempted species in the old rules of 2002. Exemption from prior permission of harvesting.
There is no need to issue a transit pass for the transportation of these tree species.

Online logging permission and certificate of origin, if the proposed logging site is above 5 km from the nearest forest, will be generated within 48 hours of application, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
“If it is not provided within the timeline, it will be released, provided all the requirements of the online application are satisfied,” an official statement by the Assam chief minister said.

Further, in case of plantations located within 5 km of the place of felling and if permission for felling is not obtained within the stipulated time, it shall be deemed to have been issued.