Proposed Ajagar Wildlife Sanctuary brings hope for forest conservation in Goalpara

(novanita_21@yahoo.co.in)

Spread over an area of 4,240 hectares in the Goalpara district of Assam, the forest of the proposed Ajagar Wildlife Sanctuary has remained distant from the conscious memory of forest lovers until recently, when Nature’s Beckon raised the demand for upgradation of this forest patch to the status of a wildlife sanctuary to provide complete protection to this forest. Nature’s Brckon submitted a proposal to the Chief Minister of Assam for the upgradation of Ajagar Reserve Forest and Pancharatna Reserve Forest situated in the Goalpara district of Assam to wildlife sanctuaries in 2022. These two proposed wildlife sanctuaries, along with other surviving natural forests in this region, represent the past forest richness of the undivided Goalpara district, which is an indispensable part of the forest heritage of Assam. Unfortunately, greater parts of this forest cover have already been lost, and the existing forests face imminent threats of rampant destruction. The natural forests of the entire Brahmaputra basin withstood unsurmountable destruction due to various anthropogenic, political, and socio-economic reasons, but the present condition of forests in the Goalpara district exemplifies the worst state of forest destruction in Assam. From culture, folklore, and history to livelihood and economy, the Goalpara district is known for its deep connections with forest and wildlife. Despite such heritage and forest richness, the Goalpara district still awaits its first wildlife sanctuary. There have been no initiatives to protect any forest area in Goalpara district since India’s independence; there is not a single protected area in the district to date. There is an urgent need to know about these forests in Assam and intervene with correct measures for the protection and conservation of these forests.

The forest of the proposed Ajagarh WLS is geographically located in a crucial floral transition zone between the Goalpara district of Assam and the northern Garo hills of Meghalaya. The Ajagarh hill forest spreads continuously across the political boundary of Assam to the Borchung hill tract in Meghalaya. This area is bestowed with many other natural mysteries. While the fauna of any forest area attracts everyone’s attention, the floral wealth often goes underrated. A scientific understanding of the flora of any forest area is a pre-requisite to understanding the ecosystem functions of that forest. The flora and fauna function in an intricately interdependent equilibrium in any forest or ecosystem. Modern-day conservation models are mostly directed at the preservation of megafauna. Though the efforts for habitat preservation of megafauna encompass preservation of flora and vegetation, attention on studies related to flora and vegetation has dimmed in modern times. This is reflected in the predominant disconnection amongst wildlife lovers and conservationists regarding flora. The floral wealth of our forests is not reflected in the available published literature. We rarely come across publications about trees, forest vegetation, and various aspects of flora outside of scientific work. This has created a blind spot in our holistic approach and interventions that are essential for true conservation work. This trend will not change until we begin the work through nature writings and published literature. Hence, let’s connect with the proposed Ajagar WLS from a holistic perspective. We begin with an overview of the geological and floral significance of the proposed Ajagar WLS. The Meghalayan plateau comprises rocks from the oldest Precambrian gneissic complex to the most recent alluvial formations. The North Garo Hills mostly include the Precambrian gneissic complex with older alluvium landmasses; this substratum supports a unique floral transition from the tropical evergreen forests of the South Garo Hills to the moist deciduous forests of the Brahmaputra Valley semi-evergreen forests ecoregion. The paleo-geographic studies of the India-Asia continent collision, which happened some 56–60 million years ago, provide information regarding the presence of an abundance of fossils on the Meghalaya plateau. This collision led to the precipitation of well-developed sediments in the Garo, Khasi, and Jaintia Hills and makes Meghalaya globally significant in the understanding of early foreland basin evolution. This continental collision also impacted the dispersal of species across this region. The Ajagar hill forest exists in inseparable contiguity with this ancient land mass of the North Garo hills; it forms a continuous habitat for the vegetation and wildlife of this forest area. The continuity shows bio-geographic transitions and diversification, which are important for the migrating megafauna of this habitat, like Asian elephants. The preservation of the proposed Ajagar WLS thus provides an opportunity to contribute towards the conservation of the contiguous forest spread over an extended area of the North Garo hills. The Garo Hills are one of the wettest places in the world; they are part of the Meghalaya subtropical forests ecoregion. The Garo Hills also constitute the westernmost part of the Indo-Malayan biodiversity hotspot and are therefore very important for the future conservation of biodiversity in this region. The Garo Hills comprise tropical moist evergreen, tropical semi-evergreen, and tropical moist deciduous forests interspersed with grasslands and riparian forests. The terrain is hilly, with limestone formations, plateaus, cliffs, and deep gorges. The germplasm of Citrus indica, the ancestor of today’s cultivated citrus fruits, is conserved in situ in the National Gene Sanctuary in the Nokrek Biosphere Reserve. The area is noted for other wild varieties of citrus fruits as well. These forests, with their abundance of botanical rarities, pose great curiosity for botanists from around the world. The insectivorous plants include two species of Drosera (sundew) and the endemic and endangered Nepenthes Khasiana (pitcher plant), which is listed in Schedule VI of the Wildlife Protection Act of India (1972) and Appendix 1 of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).

The proposed Ajagar WLS, being contiguous with the hill forests of the North Garo Hills, provides a corridor for the natural transition and proliferation of floral diversity between the Meghalayan plateau and the Brahmaputra valley. This forest shows the presence of wild citrus species, which are called Dawaby by the local people. The fruit of this tree is an important food source for the Asian elephant populations of this forest. The vegetation of this forest comprises ground orchids along with tree species like Sal (Shorea robusta), Teak (Tectona grandis), Bhumura (Terminalia bellerica), Monisal (Indian soapberry—Sapindus mukorossi), Cane (Saccharum oficinarum), Korai (Siris—Albizia procera), Ficus sp., Simul (Bombax ceiba), Modar (Indian coral tree—Erythrina variegate L.), White Kanchan (Bauhinia forficate), etc. This floral diversity and forest continuity of the Ajagar forest provide a home to one of the largest and most threatened populations of Asian elephants in India. The proposed Ajagar WLS is connected with Urpad Beel on its south-western periphery. Urpad Beel is the largest freshwater wetland in Goalpara district. It supports very healthy populations of avifauna, including many migratory winter visitors like the Red-Headed Pochard, Pintail Duck, Rudy Shelduck, Gargany, Malard, Widgeon, etc. This wetland is home to a wide diversity of resident species like Ibis, Cotton Teal, Cotton Pigmy Goose, Bronzewinged Jacana, Pheasant Tail Jacana, Indian Moorhen, Purple Moorhen, etc. It also provides habitat for freshwater turtle species like the Indian softshell turtle, the Gangetic River softshell turtle, and the Peacock softshell turtle. Apart from this, Urpad Beel is known to harbour a very healthy population of Indian otters. Bestowed with very rich aquatic vegetation, this biodiversity-rich wetland is an important source of food and water for the wild animals of the Ajagar forest. This wetland is an inseparable part of the Ajagar forest ecosystem; it is vital for the survival of large mammals like Asian elephants. The proposed area of Ajagar WLS includes a portion of Urpad Beel in its ambit. The wetland and the adjacent hill forest exist in an ecological continuum, where the hill forest acts as the catchment area for the wetland and the large expanse of the wetland works as the source of food and water for the wildlife of the forest. This wetland provides rescue to the wild animals, especially during the dry months of the year when food and water become scarce inside the hill forest. The terrain of the proposed Ajagar WLS consists of numerous water streams, including Hirakuti Jhara, Pagoli Jhara, Ketkibari Jhara, Chaplengkata Jhara, Rowrua Jhara, Chandubi Jhara, Wathegiri Jhara, etc. These streams, apart from being the source of life inside the forest, furnish water and food security for the nearby villages. These freshwater streams also indicate the health of this forest; healthy forests act as a source of clean water that flows out of the forests as streams and rivulets, which eventually become rivers. This forest is home to a rich diversity of mammals; a total of 37 species have been enlisted, which include Sloth Bear, Slow Loris, Hog Badger, Lesser Cat Species (Leopard Cat, Jungle Cat, Golden Cat, Fishing Cat), Clouded Leopard, Capped Langur, Rhesus Macaque, Assamese Macaque, Flying Squirrel, Sambar, Barking Deer, Hog Deer, Wild Boar, Pangolin, Indian Civet, etc. According to a baseline study by Nature’s Beckon, a total of 270 bird species have been checklisted in the proposed area of the wildlife sanctuary. The bird’s list includes Khaleej Pheasant, Imperial Green Pigeon, Great Horn Owl, Black Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, Shikra, Peregrine Falcon, Osprey, Lesser Racket-Tailed Drongo, Green-Billed Malkoha, Crow Pheasant, Alexandrian Parakeet, Pale-Capped Pigeon, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Large Whistling Teal, etc. Apart from these, 22 species of reptiles and amphibians have been checklisted in this area. These baseline studies have been conducted by Nature’s Beckon.

The Ajagar forest is an important habitat for Asian elephants in the Goalpara district. The long-term conservation of the proposed Ajagar WLS, along with the proposed Pancharatna WLS, is indispensable for the survival of wild Asian elephant populations in the Goalpara forests. Once the hub of thriving populations of Asian elephants in Assam, the last remaining forests of present-day Goalpara district are fighting a steep battle for their future survival. With large tracts of forests already lost due to human encroachment, agriculture, and degradation, these forests need immediate protection under the Wildlife Protection Act of India (1972). The forests of Goalpara district face the greatest threats from human encroachments; huge forest areas have already been sacrificed for the settlement of migrant populations, which have continuously flooded this part of Assam since India’s independence. Other threats include the conversion of forestland for non-forestry purposes like agriculture. The rapid conversion of forest areas for unplanned and illegal rubber plantations is further aggravating the situation in Goalpara district. Historically, the culture of Goalpara district reflects a rare man-elephant confluence that grew due to the proximity of human civilization in this area with very healthy Asian elephant populations that roamed the forests in great abundance. Ironically, the present-day Goalpara district portrays the worst man-eating elephant crisis in Assam; it is one of the worst affected districts in Assam. The reason behind such mounting conflicts is the rapid destruction of elephant habitats in Goalpara and the nearby areas. Forest lands and wetlands are continuously getting degraded and converted for various economic needs of human populations; the biggest sufferers are long-ranging wildlife species like Asian elephants, which are losing their living spaces and sources of food in this battle for resources.

The immediate protection and future conservation of the proposed Ajagar WLS and the proposed Pancharatna WLS are very important to mitigate the rising man-elephant crisis in Goalpara district. Protection of these forests is essential to facilitate long-term elephant conservation in Assam. These forests of Goalpara district constitute some of the most primitive habitats of wild Asian elephant populations in this region, and the preservation of these habitats is vital for the survival of Asian elephants in this landscape of NE India in the coming years. Nature’s Call’s campaign to provide permanent legal protection to the Ajagar forest and the Pancharatna forest is the first ever initiative taken for conservation of this major elephant habitat in Goalpara district. It is very important to upgrade these two forests to the legally secure status of wildlife sanctuaries as per the Wildlife Protection Act of India (1972), because the Reserve Forest category does not provide any immunity to forests from resource exploitation and other forms of anthropogenic threats. Legal protection of forests as a protected area (wildlife sanctuary or national park) is the only way to safeguard these forests under the constitutional framework of India from future exploitation and destruction. The protection of Ajagar WLS provides the scope for holistic conservation of a wide landscape of natural forest in Western Assam, which is flanked by the expanse of Urpad Beel on the south and the contiguous forests of the North Garo Hills on the other side. Permanent protection of this forest will prevent the future fragmentation of an important elephant habitat in northeastern India; it will be a significant step towards elephant conservation in India. This will also create avenues for the economic growth of Goalpara district through responsible eco-tourism in the future. Nature’s Call is spreading its grassroots movement amongst the village communities of this region, along with advocacy and other activities to strengthen its campaign for holistic conservation measures for the protection of the last surviving natural forests of Goalpara district, like the proposed Ajagar WLS and the proposed Pancharatna WLS.