OUR CORRESPONDENT
MANGALDAI: Bringing high hope to the conservation and expansion of Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve (ONPTR), the State Government has decided to create a second addition to ONP by expanding its existing area of 78.82 square kilometres to 278.82 square kilometres.
The Environment and Forest department vide its preliminary notification vide no FRW.14/2004/Pt/36 dated January 3 has expressed its intention to constitute the proposed schedule of land annexed to Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve. The government also appointed the Deputy Commissioners of Darrang and Sonitpur district to act as the Collector to inquire into and determine the existence, nature and extent of the right of any person in or over the proposed schedule of land. The proposed 2nd addition of Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve will have its eastern boundary near Singori of Dhekiajuli in Sonitpur district and will touch the western boundary of the first addition of Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary. Similarly, the western boundary will be extended up to Shyampur area in Darrang district.
"With the extension of the areas of ONPTR in to its second addition, the ONPTR will be connected to Kaziranga National Park using the Brahmaputra river islands as connectivity corridor and habitats across 180 km long Brahmaputra riverine area from west of ONPTR to east of KNP. Further, this second addition will help in managing the river islands scientifically to act as corridors as well as habitat for transient and resident animals, including the tigers and their prey animals, rhinos and elephant. It will also be a support to 16 species of turtles and potential reintroduction of Gharials back in the Brahmaputra which became locally extinct," said Divisional Wildlife Officer of Mangaldai Wildlife Division, Pradipta Barua while talking to The Sentinel on Friday evening.
ONPTR has a checkered history of habitation. Till 1900, the present area of ONPTR was inhabited by the local tribes who abandoned the area following the outbreak of the pandemic. However, in 1915 the British declared it as Orang Game Reserve vide notice No. 2276/R dated May 31, 1915 under the control of the wildlife wing of the State Forest Department. It was upgraded as a wildlife sanctuary in 1985, vide notification No. FRS 133/85/5 dated September 20, 1985. But the Congress government in 1992 renamed Orang Wildlife Sanctuary as Rajiv Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary. The AGP-led State government in 1998, in view of strong opposition from various quarters against the renaming, had removed the name Rajiv Gandhi from it. Finally, the Orang Wildlife sanctuary was declared as National Park in 1999 vide notification No. FRW/28/90/154 dated 13 April 1999. The Congress government again in 2004 renamed it as Rajiv Gandhi National Park which again has recently been canceled by the BJP-led State government. It is the only stronghold of rhinoceros on the north bank of the Brahmaputra River. However, with the declaration of ONP as Tiger Reserve in 2016, it became the fourth of its kind in Assam and 49th Tiger Reserve in India.
Meanwhile, various social organizations, namely Green Society, Seuji Asom, Green Assam have welcomed the State government's decision to create the second addition of ONPTR.
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