GUWAHATI, Aug 22 � A study by Aaranyak with support from the State Forest Department has revealed that a 185-km-long riverine stretch along the Brahmaputra including parts of several protected areas and a few reserve forests could provide some much-needed contiguity for the forests, facilitating easy animal movement.
Significantly, the study has shown the stretch to be a major gateway for dispersing animals � including the tiger and its prey animals � within the protected areas on the Brahmaputra floodplains in central Assam region. Called the Kaziranga-Orang Riverine Landscape (KORL), it includes stretches of Kaziranga National Park, Orang National Park, Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary, and Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary besides some reserve forests.
The findings assume importance given that most of the protected areas of the State are turning into secluded islands bereft of contiguity with one another due to growing anthropogenic pressures on forests and forest corridors. With proper attention, the riverine stretch can serve as a vital link for several forests known for their rich wildlife.
�Very little effort has been made to study the meta-population of tigers and their connectivity to different tiger inhabiting areas in the Brahmaputra valley for long-term survival of tigers. While the tiger population of Kaziranga is considered the �source population� in the entire region, the KORL has the potential to hold a very high density of tigers,� M Firoz Ahmed who was associated with the study told The Assam Tribune.
The study � covering an area of 1,100 sq km � has revealed tiger presence in 84.26 sq km area, ungulate presence in 95.06 sq km area, and human presence in 257.24 sq km area. Human settlement on the river islands in the section west to the Kaliabhomora bridge was stated to be a major hindrance for animal movement.
�The islands, further west and toward Orang National Park, are more thickly populated by human and extensively used for agricultural activities and livestock grazing. While the islands within the 64th addition to Kaziranga are mostly used for livestock grazing, remote sensing data has revealed that most of the island areas are covered with riverine grassland and only one-fifth is used for agricultural purposes. This indicates that the river islands can be and are being used by tigers, prey and other animals as habitat and as a stepping stone while moving across the landscape,� Ahmed said, stressing the need for improvised conservation and management strategies for the entire landscape for long-term survival of the threatened species.
Calling for bringing the entire KORL under effective control and management of the Forest Department at the earliest to facilitate protection and habitat management practices, the study noted that the presence of large number of livestock in some of the potential as well as tiger inhabiting islands was degrading the habitat for wild ungulate prey animals.
�The river islands should be managed scientifically so that they act as stepping stones as well as habitat for transient/resident animals including tigers, prey animals, rhino and elephant,� the report said, adding that any attempt to remove the khutis should be done slowly as there was a positive relationship between the presence of livestock and tiger sign.
�The proposed removal of the khutis from the 64th addition to Kaziranga should be done systematically and gradually. A complete and sudden removal of the livestock is most likely to affect tigers present (as transient or resident) on the river islands,� it stated.
The entire stretch is also an important habitat for the Gangetic dolphin, the State as well as national aquatic animal, and enhanced protection in the KORL would benefit the dolphins.
Ahmed said that a detailed study should also be made to understand the socio-economics, land holding and land use by the communities settled on some of the river islands. �The communities should be taken into confidence for long-term conservation and management of these river islands,� he said, adding that as some of khuti owners might be completely dependent on the livestock raised on the river islands, this aspect needed to be investigated thoroughly while preparing strategies for planned rehabilitation of the khuti owners.
The study recommended co-management of the riverine areas, as a section of local villagers was dependent on fishing in the river. �Some restriction in fishing would certainly help in increasing fish population as well as other aquatic animals in the Brahmaputra and associated wetlands,� it said.
The report was prepared by M Firoz Ahmed, Jimmy Borah and Pranjit Kumar Sarma with Chatrapati Das, Arif Hussain, Ajit Basumatary, Uttam Saikia, Karabi Deka and Jayanta Kumar Baruah as team members.
