Tourism in Dibru-Saikhowa Balimahi emerging harbinger of profit Kabita Duarah GUWAHATI, Aug 23 The Common Wagtail or the Balimahi bird which has a prominent place in the reservoir of local beliefs in the State has presently emerged as the harbinger of a profitable tourist season flourishing on bird watching in the areas around Dibru Saikhowa National Park and generating both direct and indirect employment for many educated unemployed local youth. This tourism thriving on conducted tours of bird sighting has inspired local people to stop killing of birds for consumption and join hands with the educated unemployed youths who have been promoting the concept of ecotourism.
Needless to say, majority of the tourists who arrive at the eco tourism camps set up near the Dibru Saikhowa National Park for bird sighting are foreigners from the USA, UK and Germany and that speaks all the more for the big profit margin.
It needs to be mentioned here that the Balimahi bird is the first visitor to the State arriving at Dibru Saikhowa taking the Lohit, Dibang and Siang river route. Till last year, the Balimahi had arrived on its normal time in September.
The educated local youth of Tinsukia who have come together under the banner of Wave Ecotoruism had always been getting ready for the tourist season by keeping track of the Balimahi. Because its advent in September was a signal to the season of bird migration to the State, flow of foreign tourists and big profits.
Last year we sighted the Balimahi on September 11. But this year we have been taken by surprise as the Balimahi arrived earlier. It was sighted by our boys on August 15 in Dibru Saikhowa National Park, informed Niranta Gohain, a member of Wave Ecotourism.
Gohain who has been studying the behaviour of birds said that global warming and climate change was behind the early arrival of the Balimahi.
In popular belief here, the arrival of the Balimahi meant that the season of floods was about to end. Even the British tea gardens had the custom of informing the higher authorities about the sighting of the Balimahi as its arrival was the signal for the season of kalam or pruning of the tea plants.
Our boys also sighted another migratory bird that arrived earlier, said Gohain adding that as migratory birds have started arriving earlier, the boys were getting ready for the tourist season that is mainly bird centric.
Bird focused tourism has become quite popular especially with the foreign backpackers and it is one important income generating avenue for the local people who have realized the need to protect the environment, said Gohain.
The members of Wave Ecotourism have started their preparation to welcome tourists who have booked dates from UK and USA. Tourists from outside the State have also enquired whether the Wagtail bird has been sighted. A field survey has been undertaken by Wave Ecotourism to find how many migratory birds have already landed in Dibru Saikhowa National Park which has around 500 species of birds, and recorded 5 critically endangered, 4 endangered, 19 vulnerable, 17 near threatened and 4 restricted range species.
