The Majuli district administration on Tuesday ruled out foul play in the fire that partially destroyed a man-made forest on the river island, amid widespread outrage and calls for a judicial inquiry into the incident.
The forest lies close to the famous Molai Kathoni, created by Padma Shri awardee Jadav Payeng, widely known as the “Forest Man of India”. The new plantation, known as Molai Katoni 2.0, is overseen by Payeng’s daughter. She has alleged that people deliberately set the fire on Sunday, possibly in retaliation for her father’s opposition to illegal sand mining in the area, which causes riverbank erosion.
The fire broke out around 11.15am on December 29, and while it did not reach Molai Kathoni, it damaged a significant part of the adjacent new forest, located about 500 metres away.
The incident has sparked anger across Assam and on social media, with leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia writing to Union forest and environment minister Bhupender Yadav seeking a judicial inquiry supervised by a Gauhati High Court judge. Saikia also called for a probe into the alleged illegal sand mining in the region and any administrative lapses that may have enabled the incident.
Official response
A senior Majuli district official said a team comprising the local circle officer and forest ranger visited the site on Tuesday and found “no indication of foul play.”
“It appears to be an accidental fire — possibly started by someone who lit a cooking fire and left it unattended. The dry season helped it spread rapidly,” the official said, adding that no one resides in the affected area.
According to a statement issued by the Majuli forest department on Monday, a case has been registered at Kamalabari police station. The fire was doused by 2.20pm with the help of local village defence parties from Kartik Chapori.
The preliminary report suggested the fire may have originated from a nearby cattle or buffalo shed. The affected area, the department clarified, is a “non-forest zone” located approximately 400–500 metres from the original Molai Kathoni, which remains intact.
In a related development, the Jorhat district administration has suspended all sand mining activities in the area following the incident.
Opposition demand
In his letter to the Union environment minister, Saikia described the forest as “not merely a regional ecological asset but a national symbol of resilience, citizen-led conservation and environmental stewardship.”
He demanded a judicial inquiry led by a sitting Gauhati High Court judge, as well as:
- An environmental audit of sand mining operations in the Kokilamukh stretch of the Brahmaputra, especially in ecologically fragile and inhabited zones
- Restoration measures for damaged forest land, wildlife habitats, and riverbank communities vulnerable to erosion
- Security and institutional support for Jadav Payeng and his family, enabling them to continue conservation work safely
- Public disclosure of all permits, enforcement actions, mining records, and monitoring mechanisms related to affected sites
The fire has reignited concerns about unregulated sand mining and the lack of safeguards for grassroots conservation efforts in the Brahmaputra basin.
