KALAIGAON, Dec 1 - With the arrival of picnic time, Bhairabkunda, with all her virgin beauty is once again ready to welcome tourists and picnic lovers. Bhairabkunda has been a tourist destination since a long time. But the tourist traffic flow was disrupted during the Assam and Bodo movements in 80s and 90s. But with peace returning to the BTAD area, people have started visiting Bhairabkunda again. Bhairabkunda has been unique always as the triangular meeting point of Assam, Arunachal and Bhutan. Fast flowing Dhansiri river with crystal clear water has always been the main attraction. The man-made forest (Gedsimani forest), under Joint Forest Management (JFM) Committee, with more than 14 lakh well-grown tree saplings is a bonus point for tourists visiting Bhairabkunda.
It has been a story of great success for villagers of six villages who had started something great in the year 2005 to proceed with plantation of trees under JFM scheme. Plantation was done during 2007 to 2012. It has been a continuous process with people of six villages, students, woman etc., planting more than 14 lakhs saplings till 2012. All the saplings have been well protected by the villagers. It�s a matter of pleasure that wild animals like elephants, leopards, mongoose, python, deer, wild boar, various species of snakes etc., are found in the forest. A flying snake of paradise species was also seen in the forest last year. With rivers criss-crossing the verdant Assam-Bhutan-Arunachal border and the Bhairabkunda Reserve Forest providing some undulating trekking trails, there is definite scope for watching nature in a peaceful atmosphere.
Bhairabkunda Eco Tourism & Conservation Society has taken up initiatives for the convenience of the visitors. Bimal Narzari, advisor of the society told this correspondent that society�s members have already cleaned up the site with better waste management. According to him, more than a thousand people visit Bhairabkunda daily during picnic season. Stephen Narzari, president of the society added that special steps would be taken to control traffic and violence. All the teams would be briefed about maintenance of cleanliness and peace at the time of their arrival. �Water sports facilities like rafting on Dhansiri river will be additional attraction to visitors,� he said.
On the other hand, members of the JFM Committee are also busy to welcome visitors to the spectacular new man-made forest spread over an area of 5500 bighas of land touching Arunachal and Bhutan. �People who love nature and want to see it from close quarters would be happy to visit us,� said Ismail Daimari, secretary of the JFM Committee.
While talking to this correspondent, Daimari also mentioned that visitors specially nature lovers, hikers and people with family members would love the forest with so many small streams and trees. He also said that their male and female members would take special care of the need of women and children and would guide all who are interested in the JFM Committee forest.
