Dhubri, Oct. 10: An NGO working for the preservation and protection of forests and environment has demanded vulture habitat centre status for Rajapara reserve forest. According to Aranya Suraksha Samiti, the NGO, Rajapara is the largest natural habitat of the birds after the vulture captive breeding centre at Rani reserve forest in Kamrup district of Assam. Rajapara reserve forest under the Bodoland Territorial Areas District (BTAD) has the distinction of being the only mother sal forest in lower Assam and all the 18 vulture nests are on the top of these sal trees, NGO sources said. It also claimed that with more than 700 sal trees on 10 hectares, Rajapara in Mahamaya reserve forest with white-backed vulture nests is a precious possession of lower Assam. The secretary-general of Aranya Suraksha Samiti, Haricharan Das, said: “It was fascinating to find 18 vultures nests in the forest and more than 36 adult and juvenile vultures were spotted in the forest during our recent survey.” “The captive breeding centre at Rani in Kamrup is the largest but here it (Rajapara) is the natural breeding and habitat of white-backed vulture which is an endangered species. We have been creating awareness in the areas for its protection. However, the habitat cannot be protected simply by campaigning and creating awareness. To protect it, the government must declare it a natural breeding-cum-conservation centre for vultures,” Das said. He said the NGO had submitted a memorandum to the Union environment ministry, Assam forest minister Rockybul Hussain and also BTAD forest officials, urging them to protect it and declare Rajapara a natural-breeding-cum conservation centre. Dhubri divisional forest officer Sukumar Momin said though this forest is carved out of and included in the BTAD, its need for protection could not be denied. “As far as protection is concerned, it is protected under the Assam Forest Regulation Act, 1981, but still there are many a provision for conservation of habitat of vultures and those could be taken up in consultation with the forest department of the BTAD”, Momin said.