Dehing Patkai sanctuary yet to have DFO Ron Duarah DIBRUGARH, Jan 6 It was on February 13, 2004 that the Assam Government formally notified the Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary (DPWS), consequent to the persistent demand for the Joydehing Wildlife Sanctuary in the Dibrugarh and Tinsukia revenue districts. However, in these five years, the DPWS is yet to have a full set of forest officials led by a Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife), as is the convention for sanctuaries and national parks.
The Assam Governments notification of the DPWS too was a half hearted move in 2004. The public demand was for declaring the three contiguous reserved forests of Dirak, Joypur and Upper Dehing as a single sanctuary, with an area of approximately 500 square kilometers. The notified DPWS has an area of 111.18 square kilometers, covering parts of the Upper Dehing and Joypur reserved forests. Even so, nature lovers welcomed the government step, in the fond hope that more areas would be included to the sanctuary in the days ahead.
What has come as a shocker to wildlife enthusiasts here is a reported move by some unidentified quarters to de-notify the Buri Dehing river and its two banks from the ambit of the sanctuary. This secret move has gone to the extent that a Central team from the Ministry of Environment & Forests, New Delhi is expected here in the last part of this month to study and consider the de-notification proposal.
When asked, the DFO (Territorial) here, Anurag Singh said he has heard of the matter, but hastened to add that he and his department would oppose the move. He said the move is probably because there was a government approved fishery mahal on the Buri Dehing river, and because the status of the mahal is yet to be decided.
Wildlife enthusiasts here are of the opinion that the river, if de-notified from the sanctuary, would trigger illegal logging and poaching, something that is against the spirit of eco and wildlife conservation. The three contiguous reserved forests mentioned earlier are all rainforests and till now, reasonably free from the timber mafia.
It may be of interest to the reader that the 500 square kilometer rainforest area, also known as the Joydehing area, is home to one of the worlds last surviving virgin rainforests. Apart from this wealth of flora, the fauna stock of the area includes Hoolock Gibbon, Slow Loris, pig tailed macaque, stamp tailed macaque, capped langur, tiger, leopard, gaur, Chinese Pangolin, Himalayan Black Bear, Himalayan Squirrel, porcupine, clouded leopard, crab eating mongoose and the Asian Elephant. The area is also a part of the south Asian elephant corridor. Nature watchers have documented the presence of 42 species of mammals, 293 species of birds and avifauna, 40 species of reptiles and 30 species of butterflies in the area.
