Many Saw mills in Bhojpur violating SC order

Kumar Rajiv Nayan

Ara : Over thirty Saw mills are running in Bhojpur district without licence in violation of the order of the apex court. But, the officials of environment and forest department remain indifferent. Altogether 70 saw mills have been issued licenses but over 100 saw mills are in operation in the district.The Saw mill owners run their mills till midnight and never bother to display their names and license number on board. The officials seldom inquire into the Saw mills.

The apex court with a view to checking air pollution had banned sawing up of woods more than their prescribed capacity on December 12, 1996, and a regulation was made to control the Saw mills but officials of the environment and  forest department never bother to implement the order even as 62 of the licenced Saw mills have increased their capacity up to 42 inch though their official capacity remain 18 inch.

As per the guidelines of the department, Bhojpur district should have six depots at Barhara, Sandesh, Piro, Koelwar,  Agiaw and Sahar but the district has only one depot at Bechanbag in Piro only. Several saw mills at Dhobaha with 36”  sawing capacity, at Bhairotola in Chandi, Jamalpur and Bhagwatpur under Koelwar block with 36” sawing capacity,  Ramdihara in Garhani, Gudi-Saraiya under Barhara block in Bhojpur district with 36” sawing capacity are running without license.

Forest Officer Diwakar Prasad said that the Saw mills are allowed to saw stems of trees upto 18” and if owner of any Saw mill is found sawing stems more than 18” he will be fined and his license will be cancelled. The Saw mill  owners l have to display board outside their saw mills showing their names, license numbers. He said six saw mill owners were slapped fine in 2015 for violating the order of the apex court.