PASIGHAT: The Pasighat district health department is going all out to control mosquito-transmitted diseases like malaria, dengue and recently detected Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in the district. Headed
A full-grown leopard, which came from the Ripu Reserve Forest to No. 2 Panbai village under Kachugaon police outpost could not be saved despite the efforts of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel, forest guards and local people to catch it alive. In an interview to The Sentinel, DFO, Kachugaon, RN Boro said the full-grown leopard came to the Panbari area on Thursday morning. The leopard turned furious as it was chased by the people of the area, Boro said, adding that forest guards rushed to the spot immediately. The department made all efforts to catch the leopard alive and asked for tranquillizers from the Manas National Park (MNP) authority. He said the SSB personnel were also pressed into the rescue operation. Boro expressed that the Ripu Reserve Forest is the home for various endangered species but there is no tranquillizer with the forest department officials to catch the wild animals when they appear near human habitation. The tranquillizer, which was brought from Manas National Park to rescue the leopard had a only one bullet. There were chances that if the bullet missed the target, the shooter might have to face the wrath of the wild animal, Boro said adding, an SSB jawan who took the initiative to shoot from a close range was lucky enough as the leopard jumped over him and the other jawans chased it with lathis. The DFO said at least three persons of the locality were injured by the leopard. The forest department, finding it difficult to tranquillize it, rounded up the area with SSB personnel and local people and started to fire crackers to bring out the leopard from its hideout but it did not do so. Till the filing of the report, the forest guards were still guarding the area to check if it was still there. RN Boro told The Sentinel that the leopard never stayed at a same place but roamed around for food. He said the leopard might have gone back to the jungle at night as they did not get any evidence of its presence at Panbari during the check. On the other hand, the local people, when contacted by The Sentinel, said they heard three rounds of gunshots. Sources also added that some armed youths came after sunset and they killed the leopard and took it away somewhere. The sources, on condition of anonymity revealed that the leopard was a female and its organs were cut away by the miscreants as the people in remote areas believe that it stops unprecedented bleeding of women during childbirth. This kind of medical treatment has been prevalent throughout the rural areas due to the presence of witch-doctors and quacks, who allegedly claim to have the cures for all ailments. DFO (Social Forest) Sonali Ghosh was also present along with Rangers, Deputy Rangers on Thursday. It may be mentioned here that in 2006, another leopard was killed under the same range and even on earlier occasions, the villagers have killed two leopards.
The census of elephant and golden langoor is going on in the Ripun reserve forest under Kachugaon division in Kokrajhar district. In the census carried out in Central and Raimana range it pegged a total count of 125 elephants and 650 golden langoors, sources added. Speaking to the Sentinel RN Boro, DFO, Kachugaon said there were four ranges under Kachugaon division
Manas National Park has received its first greater one horned rhinos seven years after it was was wiped out by poachers. On February 24, the director of Manas, a world heritage site, released the fourth rhino, a one-and-half-year-old female, in the Kuribeel area of the Bansbari range. The four rhinos, all orphaned females, rescued by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), its partner the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), and the Assam forest department, were hand-raised at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) near the Kaziranga National Park. The first three rhinos were transferred to Manas by WTI-IFAW in 2006. "I am delighted to welcome these rhinos to the Manas. I am sure that this move by WTI-IFAW will be the beginning of the revival of the rhino population in the park. This will be followed by the wild to wild transfer by Indian Rhino Vision 2020 team,' AK Swargiary, director Manas said. "Rhino is the pride of Assam and I am proud that WTI-IFAW has been able to support the Assam forest department in bringing back the first rhinos to this amazing Manas landscape. I hope our effort will be supplemented by others so that Manas regains its lost glory,' Vivek Menon, executive director, WTI said. MNP's last native rhino, a female, was killed by poachers in the Kokilabari beat in 2001 after two decades of ethnic strife, which devastated most of the park and killed eight forest officers. The one and half year old female calf, which was released last week, was rescued from a tea garden next to Kaziranga National Park after its mother was shot dead by poachers in September 2007. It was transported over 300 kilometers to its new home in Manas. "While conducting the post mortem we realised that the mother was lactating and therefore a calf had to be around and we started looking for it,' Dr Anjan Talukdar veterinary officer with WTI-IFAW said. Earlier, the Security Assessment Group of the Indian Rhino Vision 2020, had in its Update Report on Security Assessment in December 2007 said that 80 per cent of the Manas National Park was secure and that it was safe to release the animals there. Home to tigers and elephants it is also a designated Project Tiger reserve. A repository of 22 critically endangered species, Manas was declared a World Heritage site by the UNESCO in 1985. On ground conservation action commenced at Manas after the signing of an agreement between the Bodo people and the Government of India in 2003 and the subsequent formation of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC). The responsibility for management of the park now rests with the BTC and the Assam forest department. The BTC deputy chief, Khampa Borgoyari, has stated that Manas is an asset and should be managed to protect wildlife. The BTC had earlier strongly recommended the formation of Greater Manas adding the adjacent forest, also called Manas, and the Ripu-Chirang forest, increasing its effective spread to 950 sq kms, up from 300. The BTC's declaration followed a study conducted by the Wildlife Trust of India and its partner, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, supported by the British government, which strongly recommended its creation. "The BTC is proud to add this piece of forest to Manas. It is well aware of its responsibilities for the conservation of forests and wildlife and other natural resources of the region so that our people can enjoy the benefits for much longer. We are striving hard to strike that balance and I am confident that our officers with support of non-governmental organisations will make this happen,' Kampa Borgoyari, deputy chief of the BTC said.
The Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) has upped the ante for securing permanent protection of Majuli. The youth body has started a mass signature campaign in the river island since Wednesday, demanding the direct intervention of the Prime Minister in the matter. It has also rued the "neglect' of the State Government, the "false assurances' by the Centre and the failure of the Brahmaputra Board with regard to fighting the twin problems of floods and erosion in the subdivision. Office-bearers of the youth body claimed that they are receiving the support of all organizations based in the island during the signature campaign. The signature list will later be sent to the Prime Minister. With less than two months left for the rainy season to set in, the islanders have expressed serious dissatisfaction with the anti-projects being implemented by the Brahmaputra Board. The very existence of as many as two xatras has already been threated by the unabated erosion, the AJYCP members pointed out.
Though there seems to be increased concerns for the conservation of wildlife in the State, the threatened habitat of the wild boars in the Poba Reserve Forest (RF) seems to have eluded attention. The Poba RF is situated at Jonai, under Dhemaji district and around 100 km from Dhemaji town. Unabated deforestation, encroachment, erosion and, to add to it, hunting of wildlife have threatened the fauna in the RF. Currently the wild boars in the RF are afflicted with an anthrax-like viral disease, and recently about 20 boars have died of infections. This was disclosed by the authorities of the RF, who perceived that the swine fever has taken a toll on the boars. Environmental activists and some nature-loving NGO's have criticized the authority concerned for their complacent attitude in controlling the spread of the disease. It has been learnt from sources that the disease starts with an ulcer-like growth that spreads through the whole body and ultimately leads to the death of the animal. The people of Jonai have urged the SDO (Civil) to communicate the state of affairs as well as the concerns of the people at large to the higher authorities for eradicating the disease as soon as possible, given the fact that the wild boars are a rare species. Besides the boars, there are other endangered wildlife species in the RF. The Deputy Commissioner of the district has also been appraised of the situation. There has been demands by the local people to declare the Poba RF as a "Bio-reserve' and to take steps towards its conservation in view of the rampant deforestation, erosion and encroachment in the area. Many rare orchids and medicinal plants are also found in the RF, and possibilities of it being a bio-diversity hotspot cannot be ruled out.
A draft copy of the proposed Eco-tourism policy for Sikkim, that includes creation of an autonomous regulatory Sikkim Eco-tourism Council, has been prepared by Ecotourism Conservation Society of Sikkim (ECOSS). The proposed autonomous council headed by a chairperson has two tiers below it. Sikkim Eco-tourism Directorate with a Chief Operating Officer will coordinate the allied agencies in regulating and boosting ecotourism activities in the state. The proposed Council will have representations from different stakeholders and state forest officials. The directorate will have four different departments to fulfill the objectives of the policy. The State Government has positioned Sikkim as the ultimate ecotourism destination and identified it as a thrust industry, said Renzino Lepcha, the Executive Secretary, ECOSS while outlining the rationale behind the proposed policy. "Ecotourism represents a core element of Sikkim tourism initiatives and projects. Thus, the need for an ecotourism guideline for the State is essential in order to coordinate and bring synergy and integration between the various stakeholders in ecotourism,' said Lepcha to UNI. "Its time that Sikkim should prepare guidelines that reflect its natural and cultural characteristics, besides preserving it for the future. Some states have already done their policy,' he said. "The four interpretations of the proposed draft were Samraman, Sahyog (cooperation and interdependence among the stakeholders), Sahabhagita (participation in all activities) and Samrakshan (conservation). Conservation is supreme in eco-tourism,' said Lepcha. Eleven different strategies have been formulated to fulfill the objectives of the ecotourism policy by ECOSS in the draft copy, after brainstorming with the stakeholders. The strategies include product development, publicity, forging private public partnerships, monitoring and benefit sharing mechanism. Tour agents, joint forest management committee and other stakeholders have been asked to submit their suggestions to make the policy a model policy. The ECOSS Executive Secretary said the policy could be adopted in the second week of March after it is submitted to the state government by the Eco-tourism Circle of the forest department. T D Rai, Director of the eco-tourism cell of the State Forest Department, told UNI that eco tourism falls mainly in forest areas, which are under the jurisdiction of the Forest Department and attracts the Central and State Forest Acts. The development of ecotourism activities in these areas can be done after making it as a component of the management plan of forest and wild areas, he said.
At a time when illegal felling of trees by timber traders with alleged help from forest officials in the forests of Asom have become the order of the day, a team of All Assam Students' Union (AASU) members and journalists of Sonari town in Sivasagar district visited the Abhaypur Reserve Forest in the district and was able to unearth a shocking picture of the destruction of forests going on inside the reserve. The visit of the AASU members and local journalists to the reserve forest yesterday was undertaken following a citizens' meet on killing of rhinos and destruction of forest land in the State, which was held at Kaziranga recently under the aegis of AASU and Asom Unnati Sabha (AUS). The team witnessed mass felling of valuable trees after they crossed the Nailong River, situated just 2 km from the Namtola Beat of the Reserve. Vast tracts of forest land at sector numbers 26, 27, 28 and 29 of Abhaypur Reserve Forest have become plain fields. The team also witnessed wheel marks of trucks at the area, used for transportation of the logs. Interestingly, the delegation also heard a few rounds of bullet fire inside the forests. According to theories, the bullets are fired to alert the timber traders and their accomplices
Death of more than a thousand broiler chicken due to a mysterious disease since the last 15 days at Guijan area, 10 km from Tinsukia district has caused panic in the region. Surprisingly, the district administration is yet to ascertain the cause of the deaths, even as the general people of Guijan have started to panic. Meanwhile, allegations are rife that the broiler chicken traders of Guijan are secretly dumping off the dead chicken into the nearby Dibru river. The people are of the opinion that the chicken traders have not informed them so that they do not stop buying and consuming chicken, without being aware of the disease. The traders are playing with the lives of the people, they alleged.
The National Disaster Management Authority conducted an Industrial disaster drill at Indian Oil Corporation Limited (Assam Oil division's) at Digboi Refinery recently. The drill was conducted to test the preparedness of the civil administration concerned in the event of a major industrial disaster. The scenario envisaged for the disaster involved three mishaps: leakage of LPG at the LPG dispatch unit. Blast in hydrogen bullets in the refinery and leakage of chlorine due to catastrophic failure of toner, occurring almost simultaneously resulting in a large number of casualties. The District Administration, Civil Hospital, Civil Defence, State Fire Service, Police Department, Revenue Department, Indian Oil Corporation Limited (Assam Oil Divisions's) mutual aid partners such as Oil India Limited, Assam Gas Company Limited, North East Electric Power Corporation, Brahmaputra Valley Fertilisers Limited, Coal India Limited participated in the drill. NGOs like Lions Club of Digboi, Rotary Club of Digboi, also participated in the drill. At the concluding session, Brig (Dr) BK Khanna, senior specialist, National Disaster Management Authority, spoke on the various observations made by the expert panel of Brig Khanna, R Dubey, Director, National Disaster Management Institute, Bhopal and CR Deka, Chief Factories Inspector, Asom. He appreciated the response of the various organizations involved in the drill and pointed out the areas where further improvement could be effected. The session ended with vote of thanks from CR Deka, Chief Inspector of Factories, Asom. The National Disaster Management Authority was created after the enactment of the Disaster Management Act of the Government of India in December 2005 to spearhead and implement a holistic and integrated approach to disaster management in India. Since its inception, the authority has been stimulating disaster scenarios in various parts of the country and conducting detailed mock drills on disaster management, sources added.
The World Wildlife Fund today warned that Sikkim might become the next hub of international illegal wildlife through Nathu La border trade. Nathu La trade route is the shortest route to Tibet region of China, which has wooed the wildlife traders, WWF programme officer Dwaipayan Banerjee said highlighting on measures to check such trade through Indo-Nepal and Indo-China border. "If we don't act soon, Sikkim may be listed as the next hotspot of trans-border trade after Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal,' Banerjee said while addressing a gathering of forest officials, tour operators, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and eco-tourism societies here. "We need to realize that wildlife crime is slowly creeping in and take immediate steps to curb it,' State forest department Chief Wildlife Warden N T Bhutia said, adding that there was a need to tighten security near Nathu La border. Sikkim with a geographical area of only 0.2 per cent has 27 per cent of the nation's biodiversity and is listed in the ten most critical centres for bio-diversity and endemism as it shares border with Nepal, Bhutan and Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) of China.Nathu La border, where trade between Sikkim and TAR had started since 2006, is only 64 km away from here. Dongqingang, the nearest mart in TAR was mere half-an-hour distance from the international border. Conservator of Forests C Lanchungpa informed that medicinal plants of the state were being smuggled across the border in small volumes. "A big consignment of red sandalwood, meant for TAR, had been seized by Sikkim police on November 30 last year,' he said, adding that the State possesses almost 50 per cent of the butterfly species of the whole subcontinent with some being rare and endangered. He further said three French students were caught red-handed on July last year by state wildlife officers while they were catching butterflies and moths from a reserve forest in West Sikkim. "Various enforcement agencies and tour operators along with the locals need to come together to check the menace,' he added.
