Environment / Assam

GUWAHATI, April 10 — Though a lot of things have been said to malign Assam’s internationally acclaimed elephant catcher as well as trainer Parbati Barua by some vested interest circles, involving her with the death of a wild elephant in Chattisgarh in February last, the report prepared by the Wildlife Institute of India and the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests’ (MOEF) Project Elephant provide a different picture. Smt Barua is the Honorary Chief Elephant Warden of Assam.

The above report submitted to the Union Government on March 12 last, said, interalia, that Smt Barua did not catch...

Jorhat, April 7: Charingia Gaon, a small hamlet near this town, has become the hottest destination of ornithologists and local birdwatchers.

Ever since a team of nature lovers belonging to Aaranyak — a well-known non-governmental biodiversity conservation society of the Northeast — discovered a large community of endangered lesser adjutant storks in Dulu Baruah’s house in the village recently, the queues have been growing longer.

The lesser adjutant stork, already listed as a “vulnerable” species in the Red Data Book, is found only in the northeastern region of the country, particularly in...

Jorhat, April 6: There is a flip side to good news, as the authorities of Assam’s Kaziranga National Park have learnt to their cost.

The good news first: the population of the one-horned rhino, deer and buffalo has registered a marked increase over the past few years, which is a remarkable turnaround for the poaching-hit game reserve.

The increase in the wildlife population has, however, made the park “a little too crowded” for comfort. To make matters worse, the area is shrinking because of erosion by the Brahmaputra and encroachment by settlers.

The park authorities are bracing for a...

GUWAHATI, April 4— Assam now has four state symbols. The State Cabinet recently approved the rhino as the ‘State animal’ the white-winged Wood Duck as the ‘State bird’, the fox-tail orchid as the ‘State flower’ and the hollong as the ‘State tree’. The symbols reflect the State’s rich flora and fauna, its culture and heritage, Assam Minister of State (Independent) for Forests Pradyut Bordoloi announced here today. Bordoloi, who was addressing presspersons at the Janata Bhavan, said that every State in the country has been adopting its symbol having their state animal, bird, flower and tree...

NEW DELHI, April 2 – Floods may be knocking on the doors but the ministries concerned with the flood control works are locked in a bitter war of words over allocation of funds. The Central Government has released Rs 29 crore to Assam from the Non-Lapsable Pool of Central Resources during 2002-2003, Union Ministry of Water Resources today clarified.

The Ministry’s clarification was in response to State Water Resources Minister, Nurjamal Sarkar’s charge made yesterday about non-release of funds for flood control schemes. Before the NDA Government came to power, the only channel of releasing...

GUWAHATI, April 1 – The failure of the Union Ministry of Water Resources to release funds for both the ongoing and new schemes since 1999-2000, has brought implementation of 71 flood management schemes in the State to a grinding halt, said State Water Resources Minister Nurzamal Sarkar here today. He was addressing a press conference.

Moreover, the Minister said, the Union Water Resources Ministry in its budget for 2002-2003 had kept a meagre provision of only Rs 10 crore for the State, which had a liability of Rs 54 crore for the ongoing and completed flood management schemes. However, these...

GUWAHATI, April 1 –The Assam Legislative Assembly today passed a unanimous resolution to declare Majuli river island a culturally protected area. The resolution, moved by Rajiv Lochan Pegu of the Congress was supported by legistators of all the parties and groups. Moving the resolution, Sri Pegu stressed the need for protecting the rich Satriya cultural heritage of Majuli. He said that though Satriya dance has been recognised as a classical dance form of the country, it may lose its originality if steps are not taken to protect the Satriya cultural heritage. He pointed out that the UNESCO...

HAFLONG, March 30 – Jatinga village of NC Hills, 9 km from Haflong, the district headquarters with a population of only 2000 souls has failed to be blessed by the seeds of development. The story of Jatinga village goes back to the year 1902, when the founder father of Jatinga village U Lakhon Bang Suchiang of Gunapara village near Borkhola came in contact with some Khasi labourers working on the construction of new railway line in between Badarpur and Lumding. They used to visit Borkhola market, then a prosperous foothill market where the tribals like Nagas, Kacharis, Kukis etc frequently came...

Guwahati, March 29: The Assam government today said it would move the defence ministry if the one-man inquiry into the recent killing of a hog deer in Kokrajhar district establishes the alleged involvement of the army.

State forest minister Pradyut Bordoloi informed the Assembly that conservator of forests (western range) has been asked to conduct a probe into the incident and the army authorities have been requested to co-operate.

The minister made the statement when Bodoland Demand Legislature Party member Hemendra Nath Brahma drew the attention of the minister of state for home, Rockybul...

GUWAHATI, March 29—Forests in 41,000 hectares of land in Assam were destroyed during the period from 1996 to 1999. This was disclosed by the Minister of State for Forest, Sri Pradyut Bordoloi while replying to the debate on the cut motions on the demand for grant of Rs 1,33,41,62,000 for the Forest Department for the year 2003-2004.

Sri Bordoloi, quoting a report of the Forest Survey of India, said that forests in about 20,000 hectares of land were destroyed in Sonitpur district alone. Sri Bordoloi informed the House that the State Government would formulate a pragmatic forest policy on the...