Our Correspondent
MANGALDAI: Mangaldai Parliamentarian Dilip Saikia in a ceremonial function on Thursday, reopened the Orang National Park (ONP) and Tiger Reserve for the visitors and tourists for the year 2021 and 2022 in presence of a large number of public and distinguished guests. He also inaugurated the newly-renamed welcome gate of Orang National Park in place of Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park.
The State Cabinet in its meeting on September 1, decided to remove the name of Rajiv Gandhi from the Orang National Park as per the long-standing demand of the people of Darrang district as well as to honour the Orang tribe who once were the inhabitants of the areas of present Orang National Park.
In his inaugural speech as the first Parliamentarian to attend the reopening ceremony, Dilip Saikia strongly criticized the Congress government for renaming the Park in the name of Rajiv Gandhi who had no single contribution for the well being of the Park, rather the Park witnessed highest number of poaching cases during the Congress rule. He also strongly warned a section of encroachers to immediately vacate the areas of the Park failing which would compel the government to take stern measures to evict them. In his speech, Parliamentarian Dilip Saikia recalled the contribution of eminent lover of wildlife and nature-cum-famous authorized hunter Ziaur Rahman of Mazbat and assured to take up measures to keep his memories alive.
Wildlife activist Dr. Budhin Hazarika also addressed the inaugural function while Divisional Officer of Mangaldai Wildlife Division Pradipta Baruah in his welcome speech gave a detailed picture on the achievement of the Park. In the function anchored by wildlife activist and media person Bhargab Kumar Das, Assistant Conservator of Forest, Rajeev Hazarika offered the vote of thanks.
The park, up to 1900 was inhabited by the local tribes who on account of an epidemic disease abandoned the area. However, in 1915, the British government declared it as Orang Game Reserve vide notice No. 2276/R dated May 31, 1915. It was upgraded to a wildlife sanctuary in 1985 vide notification No. FRS 133/85/5 dated 20 September 1985. But in 1992, the Park was renamed as Rajiv Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary which was later cancelled in 1998. Finally, the Orang Wildlife Sanctuary was declared as a National Park in 1999 vide notification No. FRW/28/90/154 dated 13 April 1999 and as Tiger Project in 2016 by the National Tiger Conservation Authority. At present the ONP with the areas of 78.82 sq km is the habitat of 101 one-horned rhinos and 24 Royal Bengal Tigers, besides other endangered species as per the census carried out in 2018. The next census will be carried out in 2022.
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