TINSUKIA: In a worrying sign, it has been found that a total land area of 123.47 sq km of the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park has been washed away by rivers flowing through it in the past few decades. Last year, Assam's Environment & Forest Department conducted a satellite survey of the national park, which revealed this astonishing fact.
Dibru-Saikhowa was declared a National Park in 1999. At that time, the total area of the park was calculated to be 340 sq km. But the survey conducted in 2023 revealed that the existing area of the park is 216.53 sq km, which means that a total land area of 123.47 sq km has been eroded by the rivers flowing through the park.
At present, forests cover 38% of the remaining 216.53 sq km of the park’s area. The park is bounded by the rivers Brahmaputra and Lohit in the north and the Dibru River in the south.
However, another major cause of concern is the encroachment of an area of 6.53 sq km inside the park. Before being declared a national park, human habitations were present at Laika and Dodhiya inside the park area. The habitations belonged to indigenous tribes of the state, who had been living in the area.
Some of the people were shifted and rehabilitated in other places, but many still continue to reside in these places. The state government is endeavouring to rehabilitate the remaining tribal population.
With erosion emerging as a major threat to Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, the state government is mulling a ten-year plan to mitigate erosion in the park.
Dibru-Saikhowa National Park is a national park as well as a biosphere reserve in Tinsukia district. With a unique habitat endemic to Dibru-Saikhowa only, the habitat has undergone radical transformation after the great earthquake of 1950. Migratory birds are a major attraction, with the park being located along a major migratory bird route.
There are 36 species of mammals recorded in the park so far: Tiger, Elephant, Leopard, Jungle Cat, Bears, Small Indian Civet, Squirrels, Gangetic Dolphin, Slow Loris, Assamese Macaque, Rhesus Macaque, Capped Langur, Hoolock Gibbon, Wild Pigs, Sambar, Barking Deer, Water Buffalo, Feral Horses, etc.
It is an identified Important Bird Area (IBA) having more than 382 species of birds, some of which are Greater Adjutant Stork, Lesser Adjutant Stork, Greater Crested Grebe, Large Cormorant, Open Bill Stork, Black Necked Stork, Large Whistling Teal, Grey Leg Goose, Grey-headed Fishing Eagle, Griffon Vulture, Osprey, Crested Serpent Eagle, Spot Billed Pelican, White Winged Wood Duck, Baer’s Pochard, Greater Spotted Eagle, Pale Capped Pigeon, Great Pied Hornbill, Marsh Babbler, Jerdon’s Babbler, Black Breasted Parrot Bill, etc.
The park is renowned for natural regeneration of trees belonging to the genus Salix.
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