A complaint was registered against the settlement of Reang refugees in Tripura’s forest areas, to which the National Green Tribunal (NGT) agreed for a hearing.

To restore 36,140 Reang refuges from Mizoram, 13 locations in different districts of Tripura have been selected with a Rs 1,200 crore project undertaken by the Centre and the Tripura government.

Due to ethnic clashes, 36,140 tribal migrants escaped Mizoram 24 years ago.

The petition was filed by environmentalists, experts and Dhanishwar Debnath. They claim that it is the deforestation and adverse effect on forest and environment that they are against and not rehabilitation of the tribal migrants.

Debnath filed a complaint stating that migrant tribals from Mizoram were settling in forest land of Tripura. The Forest department and North Tripura district administration was sought a response from the NGT.

The Principal Secretary of Tripura’s Forest Department, the District Magistrate of North Tripura district and other officials were asked for a report on the rehabilitation plan by July 14, by the Kolkata-based eastern zonal bench of the NGT.

Debnath, mentioned about an e-tender issued by the Tripura government on November 4, 2020 in his petition, seeking “certain constructions within a forest area” in North Tripura district.

He said, as per Forest Conservation Act of 1980, authorities need to afforest the deforested areas but there is unavailability of additional lands for fresh plantation in most of the districts.