From doublebulb@YAHOO.COM Sun May 22 13:02:42 2005
Date: Sun, 8 May 2005 00:32:01 -0700
From: Pritam Baruah 
To: 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.
>
>
>
>
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