Vice President (Mine Surveyor's Association) Email:
The present serious environmental and ecological problem has arisen from large scale deforestation, which in turn has led to increased soil erosion, silting of rivers, increasing temperature, and floods. At one time Saranda Reserve Forest used to be a dense forest rich in flora and fauna. Due to mining activities, settlement of new villages in forest, Naxal violence, and smuggling of wood forest area shrank consequently leading to climatic changes and stoppage of perennial sources in hilly forest area. It is estimated that more than 10,000 hectares of virgin forest with over 80 per cent canopy cover has been devastated by ongoing mining activities and settlement of new villages in many parts of forest. Destruction of Saranda Reserve Forest has caused extinction of many rare species of flora and fauna and has turned land into follow wasteland.
