Jorhat, Oct 18: Environmental activist and Padma Shri awardee Jadav Payeng, widely known as the “Forest Man of India”, has expressed deep concern over the ongoing sand excavation from the Brahmaputra riverbed in Jorhat

Payeng alleged that despite the absence of sand deposits in several stretches of the river, excavation continues; a practice he warned has diverted the Brahmaputra’s natural course southward, causing several rivers in Majuli to dry up

To address the issue, Payeng submitted a memorandum to the Jorhat Forest Department and the Deputy Commissioner on Friday, urging an immediate halt to all sand excavation activities along the southern bank of the river.

"The sand excavation process for the four-lane national highway project in Jorhat is already complete. Earlier, the Forest

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