Rapid expansion of settlements inside Dibru-Saikhowa National Park that shelters wide ranging wildlife and flora – many endemic to it – is pushing this unique natural habitat to the brink. Abysmal manpower shortage is further aggravating the situation at Dibru Saikhowa, which is now caught in a grim battle for survival. Conservationists have attributed the ills afflicting the park – also a biosphere reserve – to the inertia of the Forest Department and the State Government.

A rare black soft shell turtle (Nilssonia nigricans) was rescued by the Senior Manager of Baghjan Tea Estate along with his team of executives, from a dried up pond in the tea estate when some persons were taking it away to eat.

The Senior Manager, Anand Wats, in association with his executives SA Chowdhury, S Tirkey and JS Sindhu later released the animal in a secluded spot of the Danguri river in front of Dibru Saikia National Park.

Arunachal Pradesh has informed the Centre that downstream impacts can be studied during construction of the 1,750MW Lower Demwe project which should be cleared as it will not affect Dibru-Saikhowa National Park in Dibrugarh district of Assam. “The downstream impacts are limited to a few months of the lean season and will be confined to low-lying flood plains in the Brahmaputra basin. These impacts can always be studied during construction of the project.

TINSUKIA, Nov 15 – Situated in the extreme east of the State and 13 km north of Tinsukia city, Dibru-Saikhowa is one of the bio-diversity hotspots of the country. But rare avian species have been facing the threat of extinction here. If people are not aware about the need to conserve all this, soon the area will lose this rich bio-diversity as well as diverse avifauna in the coming years.

GUWAHATI, Butterflies are one of the most colourful and beautiful insects in the world. Out of the world

GUWAHATI, NGOs working for environment and wildlife conservation has expressed alarm at the fact that poaching of wild animals and illegal cutting of trees is still going on in the forest areas of Assam, especially the Dibru Saikhowa National Park.

Spread across a 640-square km area, the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park is home to several species of wild animals and migratory birds.

GUWAHATI, Aug 24: The Assam State BJP today accused Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain of helping illegal Bangladeshi immigrants to settle in forest areas in order to get their votes for the Congress in the elections.

RANGARA (TINSUKIA)

The Common Wagtail or the Balimahi bird which has a prominent place in the reservoir of local beliefs in the State has presently emerged as the harbinger of a profitable tourist season flourishing on bird watching in the areas around Dibru Saikhowa National Park and generating both direct and indirect employment for many educated unemployed local youth.