Environmentalists Unite to Address Fire Incident in Jorhat

Delegation Meets Jadav Payeng After Devastating Fire

Jorhat, January 2: A group from the Congress party's Jorhat district unit, along with members of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), visited the esteemed environmentalist and Padma Shri awardee Jadav Payeng at Kokilamukh, located on the banks of the Brahmaputra, on Tuesday.

Led by Bikash Gogoi, the general secretary of the Congress district unit, and AJYCP state president Palash Changmai, the delegation aimed to discuss the recent fire incident that occurred on Sunday at Molai Kathoni (Molai forest) 2.0, near Jorhat.

This fire was reportedly set intentionally, resulting in the destruction of saplings and the loss of numerous birds and small animals. Estimates suggest that approximately 5,000 trees were lost, affecting an area of five bighas.

Jadav Payeng’s daughter, Munmuni Payeng, along with some villagers and relatives, played a crucial role in extinguishing the fire. Notably, between 2022 and 2024, Munmuni and 70 other villagers have planted around 10 lakh trees across 1,300 hectares as part of a project initiated by the NGO ‘Sustainable Green Initiative’.

During their meeting, the delegations listened to Jadav Payeng recount the incident and expressed their deep concern. They praised Munmuni and her team for their swift action in controlling the fire, which could have otherwise devastated the entire plantation.