Cottonians play important role in Dehing Patkai Reserve Forest

A CORRESPONDENT

DHUBRI: Two Cottonians --Titir Debnath and Aditya Das, both doing Masters degree in Environmental Biology and Wildlife Sciences -- are creating mass awareness regarding reported coal mining project at Saleki Proposed Reserved Forest, a part of the Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve, expressed satisfaction over the instruction by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to State Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya on May 20 to visit Dehing Patkai Reserve Forest and take physical stock of the Reserve Forest and report to him.

Explaining the importance of these forests, they said it harboured a unique biodiversity, which included rare species of flora and fauna. "Some of the notable species are birds like Hornbills, Yuhinas, Babblers, Warblers, Trogons, White-winged Duck and the Greater and Lesser Adjutant Storks while the mammals include the Asian Elephant, Western Hoolock Gibbon, Porcupine and the Chinese Pangolin, each one of them contributing to make the fauna of our state amongst the most remarkable in the country," one of the two students said.

"Apart from several unusual canopy-dwelling species, there are charismatic reptiles like the Norvill's Flying Lizard, King Cobra, Tokay Gecko and the Monitor Lizard. The area also hosts more than 150 species of butterflies that includes some very rare species which are endemic to this region and found nowhere else in the Indian subcontinent. Amongst the diverse flora, the forestland is primarily dominated by the towering Hollong (Dipterocarpus retusus), an endangered species that has been chosen as the State tree of Assam, and Mekai (Shorea assamica), another unique species. These forests also host plant species, such as the Yellow Snake Tree (Altingia excelsa) or Jutuli, Magnolia pterocarpa or Borhomthuri, Mesua ferrea or Nahar, and several jewel orchid species which ornament the forest during the flowering seasons," Titir Debnath further explained.