Skip to content Skip to navigation

Biodiversity conservation camp on Indo-Bhutan border

By Jayanta Kumar Das |


A five day's field based biodiversity conservation workshop was organised at Nonai forest Range Office under Khalingduar Reserve Forest, heavily infested with man-elephant conflict for a couple of years.Aranyak,Assam organised the programme from July 16 to July 21 in association with Nonai Forest Range Office,Khalingduar Reserve Forest and Green Valley Forest and Wildlife Protection Society,a local NGO working for the conservation of nature and wildlife.This has been the first of its kind of programme organized in such remote area far away from towns and cities. Dr.Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar, Programme Secretary,Namita Brahma,Bird expert and Bipul Das,butterfly expert of Aranyak,Assam attended the programme as resourced person.34 numbers of boys and girls, mostly Adivasi,Nepali participated in the workshop. Ananta Bagh,CEO of Green Valley Forest and Wildlife Protection Society also attended the programme on all the five days.


The programme was organized to create awareness among locals,who had been facing conflicts with wild animals mostly wild elephants for decades.Due to rapid deforestation and expansion of tea gardens,the green cover is nearly lost causing man -elephant conflict. The programme covered topics like-importance of bio-diversity with special reference to conservation of local species of birds,animals, butterflies, reptiles,primates and plants etc. Field study was also arranged for the participants inside the Khalingduar Reserve Forest for practical knowledge,where they were taught about the 'do and do nots' in the forest area.The participants learned about the behaviour of wild animals and birds so as to maintain peaceful co existence with wild animals without causing much damage to each other and to minimize direct confrontation with wild animals.


The closing function was held on July 21.Dr.Bibhuti Lahkar,Namita Brahma of Aranyak, Assam; Haladhar Kalita,Range Officer,Nonai Range Office were felicitated with gamocha. Dr.Lahkar thanked all forest officials,members of Green Valley Forest and Wildlife Protection Society,participating boys and girls and media people for all the help and cooperation in organizing the programme at Nonai.He also expressed his willingness to another such programme in Bornadi Wildlife Sanctuary,famous for pygmy hog. Speaking on the occasion he also said that most of the green cover of the existing forests of Assam had been lost. Existing elephant corridors had also been destroyed causing man-elephant conflict in Udalguri,Sonitpur and Golaghat districts.


Range Officer,Haladhar Kalita,CEO Ananta Bagh also spoke a few words on the occasion. Participants namely- Rahul Amin Khan,Ranjeeta Bagh,Chandrika Lomjel, Mufasil Khan and Bimal Lohan thanked organizers for arranging the programme at Nonai. Distinguished journalists of Udalguri district namely- Bapan Sarma, President,Bodoland Journalist Association; Diganta Sarma, Secretary,Tangla Press Club;Kanneswar Deka,President, Kalaigaon Press Guild and Jayanta Das,Advisor,Bodoland Journalist Association attended the closing ceremony as the invited guests. Aranyak,Assam presented a set of books and a binocular to the local NGO at the end of the ceremony.




Comments

Birendra tanti's picture

Submitted by Birendra tanti on Wed, 07/12/2011 - 21:57
CONGRATS ANANTA SIR. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.

Pages

Add new comment

Assamese Translator

Assam Times seeks English to Assamese translators!
Join our volunteer team.
Email editor@assamtimes.org.

Random Stories

Twin explosion in Digboi

26 Jan 2015 - 11:17am | AT News
Despite round-the clock vigil, suspected ULFA militants exploded two low-intensity in Digboi amid the Republic Day celebration in the oil town on Monday.Police officials told Assam Times that the low...

Speaker’s ire on Handique move

27 Jan 2014 - 4:43pm | AT News
Amid brisk preparation for finalizing Lok Sabha candidates, Assembly Speaker Pranab Gogoi has revealed that he was dead opposed to the move for allowing BK Handique to seek re election.According to...

3 dead, 14 hurt in Jhanji mishap

26 Nov 2014 - 8:33am | AT News
Three persons died and fifteen others sustained serious injury at tragic road mishap in Sivasagar district on Wednesday.The mishap took place at Phulpanichiga near Jhani on the National Highway No 37...

Aids distributed to DNA clubs at Tangla

2 May 2012 - 11:27pm | Jayanta Kumar Das
A meeting of DNA club schools of Udalguri district was held at RC Saharia Teachers Training College,Tanga on April 30 last,where the annual grants for the DNA club programme was distributed to 11...

Other Contents by Author

Community Hall inaugurated and cycles distributed to girls at Tangla

A community hall built by the Indian Army’s Red Horns Division at Bharakhata Yuva Sangh,Tangla was inaugurated by Hattigor Brigade Commander of the Red Horns Division in presence of several military and civil officials along with distinguished members of civil society. 36 cycles for poor school going girls of the district was also distributed on the occasion. Puran Deka, Principal Bharakhata Yuva Sangh School distributed the cycles to the girl students.The project was dedicated to the villagers of Tangla by the army camp Golandi,Udalguri, under the operation Sadbhavana scheme, thereby taking another step towards promotion of educational and cultural exchange while projecting the friendly...

Wild tusker found dead in Udalguri

The carcass of a 80 years old wild tusker has been found at Phulungjhar Kolbari of Udalguri district near Indo-Bhutan border at 12.30 pm on December 14,taking death toll of wild elephants to 8 in 2012. The dead body bore no injury marks and eye witnesses say that the tusker was limping on its legs the previous day. Forest officials claimed to have rescued both the tusks. MP Sarma, ACF, Dhansiri Forest Division,who attended the post postmortem on December 15 told this correspondent that the tusker had been blind with right side eye and its right side hind leg was 35 CM shorter than other legs. According to him old age could have been a cause but did nor rule out poisoning. He said viscera of...

Chasing away wild elephants near Indo-Bhutan border

A massive operation to chase away wild elephants from villages of Udalguri district was launched from Paneri tea garden at 10.30 am on December 10. Dhansiri Forest Division organized the operation at the direction of Bonjar Daimari,Deputy Speaker,BTC,Santias Kunjur,EM,BTC and Rihon Daimari,MLA,Udalguri. Forest personals from Mazbat and Nonoi Range Offices,Bornadi Wildlife Sanctuary and Division head office headed by MP Sarma,ACF,Dhansiri Forest Division launched the operation in association with police and civil administration headed by DN Hazarika,Circle Officer,Harisinga Revenue Circle,Tangla. The massive operation was also supported by senior managers of Paneri and Bhutiachang tea...

Exam cancelled due to teachers absence

Annual examination in Tarabari LP school in Bhergaon sub-division near Tangla could not held due to absence of all the teachers. According to information examinees had to return home without appearing their annual examination after waiting for hours in the school on December 5. The matter has created anger among parents and guardians of the locality. The Circle Officer, Harisinga Revenue Circle,Tangla had visited the school next day,but could not find any teachers till 10.30 am. Deputy Commissioner by an order (UCN/BLW/24/ 2012/ 270- A Dated 6-12-12) recommended government to take stunt action against those teachers including Headmaster and concerned BEEO for negligence of duty.On the other...

Wild elephants kill one at Paneri

In another tragic incident,one Joseph Munda (21) s/o late Batras Munda of village Nepalibasti near Nasonsali under Paneri Police Station has been killed by wild elephant at Gitibari area at 8.30 pm on December 2 taking death toll to 7 human beings this year only. According to information he along with other tried to chase away a herd of wild elephants damaging their paddy. It needs mention that so far 7 wild elephants and 7 people have lost their lives in the district till December this year as a result of Man-elephant conflict. It was not possible for three Kunki elephants employed by WWF Tezpur office to prevent hundreds of wild elephants coming down to plains in search of food. Civil...

Unabated felling of trees continues in Khalingduar

Khalingduar Reserve Forest in Udalguri district has witnessed severe destruction of forests along with the presence of hundreds of wild elephants damaging paddy and houses of villagers. Although the matters have taken serious turn,forest department with just seven or eight people could neither chase away wild elephants nor stop smugglers involved in poaching or tree felling. According to eye witnesses large numbers of smugglers have regularly been entering Khalingduar RF ( mostly since November 2012) and fell down more than hundred most valuable trees. Information says,all the smugglers used to enter into the forest at 5 am equipped with powered saws to move out in the afternoon with logs...

Wild elephant found dead in Udalguri

The recovery of a dead female wild elephant at Paneri in Udalguri district has caused serious concern among nature loving people. The 8 years old female wild elephant was seen in a tea garden drain of Paneri TE in the morning hours of November 23. Forest officials could not determine the cause of the unnatural death of the elephant and post-mortem report is waited.It needs mention that so far 7 wild elephants and 6 people have lost lives in Udalguri district during 2012 only. According to post-mortem reports most of the wild elephants died because of electrocution and poisoning. Environmental NGOs namely- Green Valley Forest and Wildlife Protection Society and Green Society, Udalguri have...

Environmental NGO Forum formed

In order to strengthen the environmental movement in Assam, 25 Assam based environmental NGOs met over a day-long programme at Lakshmiram Barua Sadan on October 20 and decided to form an environmental NGO Forum to deal with all environmental issues of the state. The Forum shall keep a strict vigil on conservation initiatives being carried out by government/non government agencies to ensure that resources are wisely used to benefit environment conservation. After this initial meeting at Guwahati, the Forum came to a shape at Nagaon on November 18 with the formation of a core committee and selected Ms Mubina Akhtar as convenor cum spokesperson who will co-ordinate amongst all stakeholders....

Udalguri SP suggests use of 303 rifles by villagers

“At least 45 thousands of 303 series rifles and nearly 10 lakhs rounds of its bullets are lying idle in various police armors in the state with the modernization of Assam police with AK series assault rifles. These arms are no use to army and paramilitary forces will automatically be damaged within short time and would have to be burned”. So said Debojit Deuri,Superintendent of police, Udalguri at Golondi Army Camp of the district recently. Talking to this correspondent on the occasion of 31st Raising Day of 159 Field Regiment, SP Deuri said that police alone can never control increasing numbers of extremist activities or anti-social elements including poachers equipped with...

Wild elephants kill 4 near Indo-Bhutan border

Man -elephant conflict has taken a serious turn in Udalguri district with the recent killing of four young persons at a time by wild elephants at Nonaokhuti village near Khalingduar Reserve Forest. In a very tragic incident four young people namely- Ankit Newar (15),Ranjit Hajda (32),Panchu Orang (20) and Bhutung Lama (30) have been killed by wild elephnats at around 8 PM on November 16..According to information all the four persons had been trying to chase away a herd of wild elephants damaging their paddy.The killed persons never noticed another two or more wild elephants standing at a close distance.And all the four had been attacked and killed instantly unaware. The incidence has...