- BRO hill-cutting puts habitat of Sonitpur animal reserves in danger Guwahati, Aug. 20: The Assam forest department has allowed the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to widen the Balipara-Bhalukpong road in Sonitpur district, putting in peril the habitat of the Sonitpur elephant reserve and the buffer of Nameri tiger reserve. The BRO has started massive hill-cutting in the area to facilitate the widening despite the Union ministry of environment and forests not issuing the mandatory clearance. In fact, a three-member expert committee of the forest department, which was asked by the department to give an on-the-spot report, had observed massive earth-cutting from the adjoining hillocks and also found that 4km of the road inside the buffer area has already been constructed.