Скачать или смотреть Forest Created by Jadav Payeng’s Daughter Set Ablaze in Majuli–Jorhat Region

A forest created under the leadership of Munmuni Payeng, daughter of the renowned “Forest Man of India” Jadav Payeng, has been partially destroyed by a fire allegedly set by miscreants along the Brahmaputra riverine areas of Majuli and Jorhat districts.

Since 2022, a 70-member team led by Munmuni Payeng had been carrying out plantation work on riverine sandbars (char–chapori), creating a forest named “Molai Kathoni 2.0.” However, a large portion of the forest was recently burnt down, triggering panic and concern in the surrounding areas. Local residents rushed to douse the fire, but by then significant damage had already occurred.

Serious allegations have been raised that the incident may be linked to sand mining activities, as permission for sand extraction has reportedly been granted near the forest area. Munmuni Payeng warned that sand mining in the region could lead to severe erosion by the Brahmaputra, threatening both Molai Kathoni 2.0 and the original Molai Kathoni forest.

Expressing grief, Munmuni Payeng said their work was solely aimed at protecting nature, greening the planet, and providing oxygen, and alleged that opposition to sand mining by her father may have led to this act.

It may be noted that with the support of Sustainable Green Initiation and Climate Justice People, the team has been working on afforestation across 1,300 hectares since 2022, planting native saplings and seeds. By 2024, the plantation drive had crossed the milestone of one million plants.