From doublebulb@YAHOO.COM Sun May 22 13:02:42 2005 Date: Sun, 8 May 2005 00:32:01 -0700 From: Pritam BaruahTo: nathistory-india@Princeton.EDU Subject: Re: Demand for new urban wildlife sanctuary near Guwahati Adding to my previous email to the list on the demand by Early Birds NGO for another urban WLS near Guwahati, here is an article that appeared in "The Assam Tribune" in 2002. It speaks of forests and bio-diversity near Guwahati. ============================================== Rich wildlife of Guwahati remains unstudied Copyright 2002, Assam Tribune December 15, 2002 Sivasish Thakur GUWAHATI, Dec 14 ^× Guwahati, the capital of Assam and the gateway to the North-east, is probably the only city in the world which is home to a wide range of wildlife, some of which are globally-endangered species. However, this fascinating wildlife of the city remains largely unstudied and its natural wealth little appreciated. Three leopards have been caught within a span of four days this week at Santipur right at the heart of the city. Leopards apart, sighting, capture and occasional killing of animals like pangolin, civet cat, jungle cat, python, fox, deer, wild boar, etc, are also reported every now and then. While sighting of the leopard and the elephant still occurs well within the city limits despite the fact that much of the natural habitat has been lost, the tiger, the rhinoceros and the gaur (Indian bison) too can be found near city, says noted wildlife expert Dr Anwaruddin Choudhury. However, the chances of witnessing them are remote as expansion of human settlement and Shrinkage of forest cover have forced the animals to seek the safety of the deeper areas of the jungles, he adds. Very few people are probably aware of the fact that there are as many as 19 reserve forests (RFs) and three proposed reserve forests (PRFs) in and around the city under the Kamrup East Forest Division, covering an area of approximately 548 sq km or 54,831 hactares. And ten of these RFs, constituting a territory of 270 sq km, are very much within the city as they fall under the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) area. While Garbhanga under South Guwahati Range is the largest RF with an area of 18,860.58 hectares, Sarania hill under Guwahati Range is the smallest with a cover of just 7.99 hectares. The rapid growth of the city over the past three decades has taken its toll in the city^Òs forest areas. The ever-increasing population which has shot up to nearly one million in 2001 from 0.20 million in 1971, and the corresponding increase in area from 44 sq km to 217 sq km, have resulted in large-scale destruction of jungles causing a drastic reduction in the animals^Ò natural habitat. Many animals and birds have disappeared from the city while some others are still there in its precincts with the threat of possible extinction looming large on them. Unless strict measures are undertaken to safeguard whatever forest is left within the city, it is only a matter of time before the Guwahatians have to part with their rich age-old heritage. As per the Forest Department^Òs statistics, out of the total encroached area of 2,500 hectares (about 4.5 per cent of the total RFs), 1,582 hectares had been cleared till June 13, 2002. However, after the eviction drive stopped, 40 per cent of the cleared area have again been encroached upon, leaving a total area of 1,551 hectares still to be cleared. The latest census of the Forest Department records around 170 elephants and 70 leopards, under Kamrup East Division. Wild boar, barking deer, civet cat, fox, jackal, python, pangolin, porcupine, capped langur, hornbill, jungle fowl, pheasants, etc, are some other animals found in good numbers. On the city^Òs wildlife, Dr Anwaruddin Choudhury says the tiger still strays into the city hills including those in the north bank. ^ÓTill the 1970s, a few were always encountered in Kalapahar, Fatasil Ambari, Kahilipara, Panjabari, Khanapara, Mandakata, Sila, Agyathuri etc hills in and around Guwahati. Two tigers were reported near Changsari in 1998,^Ô he says, adding that once common in Garbhanga, Rani and Amchang, the big cat is now only occasional in these areas. Significantly, there was a small but permanent population of the Indian one-horned rhinoceros at Kuruwa, at the north-eastern edge of the city till the 1970s. Stray rhinos from Pobitora also occasionally visit the chapories of the Brahmaputra towards the north-east of the city. Dr Choudhury says stray rhinos visiting Tatimora chapori was a regular feature till as late as 1996. That Amchang Hill, just a few km towards the east of the city still has a population of the majestic gaur (Indian bison) left, is a matter of privilege for the city. Dr Choudhury and Moloy Baruah of Early Birds are of the opinion that shrinkage of habitat has forced them to move deeper into the jungles and hence the possibility of encountering them is remote. Besides, a few more gaurs are also in the Garbhanga and Rani RFs. Environmentalists have long been demanding declaration of the Amchang Hill, Amchang South and Khanapara RFs as a sanctuary because of the area^Òs rich biodiversity and wildlife. Till a few years back, the hoolock gibbon, an endangered species and India^Òs only ape was seen at Amchang and the possibility of its existence in the core areas cannot be ruled out even today. Originally posted at: http://www.assamtribune.com/dec1502/at05.html ============================================== --- Pritam Baruah wrote: > > The Rani and Garbhanga reserved forests at the > southern border of Kamrup district in Assam forms an > important elephant habitat. It is adjacent to the > forested Garo hills in Meghalaya to the south and > Deepor Beel to the north. Declaring it a WLS will > not > only aid in protecting the remaining elephant > population but also help inhibit the ongoing > man-elephant conflict in that area. However problems > beset these forests in the form of illegal > earth-cutting, encroachments (especially near Deepor > Beel) and deforestation. Timber and land mafia from > both Assam and Meghalaya are at work. The train line > passing through Garbhanga is another big problem - > last year 3 elephants were killed by a train and the > raised track has severly hampered movement of > elephants to drink water or bathe in Deepor Beel. > > Incidentally, another WLS - the Amchang Hills WLS > with > an area of about 80 sq km was notified last year. > Amchang lies south west of Guwahati. > > ============================================== > > www.assamtribune.com > > Demand for new urban wildlife sanctuary near > Guwahati > > Guwahati, May 7 (UNI): The Early Birds, an NGO, has > urged the Central and the State Governments to > consider a new wildlife sanctuary including Rani and > Garbhanga reserve forests near the city. > > Talking to UNI, General secretary of the NGO Gautam > Choudhury said that the twin reserve forests > constituted around 180 sq. km and could be developed > as a new wildlife sanctuary. > > "Once the concerned departments consider our > proposal, > this sanctuary can attract tourists too due to the > proximity of the area to Guwahati city," Choudhury > added. > > The twin reserve forests have the distinction of > providing shelter to a wide variety of wild mammals > like leopards, the slow lorris, the Assamese macaque > and elephants. > > Even some of the rare animals, including the hollock > gibbon, the royal bengal tiger and the bison can be > spotted here, claimed the NGO. > > The reserve forests are close to the Meghalaya > border > on one side and Deeporbeel Bird Sanctuary on the > other > which provide 60 to 70 km of natural corridor at a > stretch between the two forests. > > For the big mammals like elephants, royal bengal > tigers and leopards the reserve forests constitute > an > ideal breeding place for them, Choudhury added. > > The NGO, however, expressed concern over the present > state of affairs and large-scale deforestation in > these forests endangering the wild animals here. > > It cautioned the State Forest department that if > steps > were not initiated right now, the wild resources in > the forests would be on the verge of extinction in > the > near future. > > Noted environmentalist and bird watcher Moloy Barua > is > the president of the NGO. > > > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! 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