DIPHU, Oct 22 - The State is set to get its sixth national park and the first in the two hills districts, with the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) formally proposing the formation of a larger protected area by merging the North Karbi Anglong and East Karbi Anglong wildlife sanctuaries into a national park.
Although the conjoined districts of Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao account for much of the State�s green cover, particularly dense forest cover, they are yet to have a national park. Dima Hasao does not even have a wildlife sanctuary.
The objective behind the move is to bring more forest area under security cover and boost protection along the contiguous belts that link the Karbi Anglong forests with Kaziranga National Park.
�The proposal is in the best interests of Karbi Anglong forests as well as Kaziranga. The two hill districts of Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao do not have a single national park despite having vast stretches of pristine forests. The KAAC authorities are submitting the proposal for the national park to the State government,� Abhijit Rabha, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), KAAC, told The Assam Tribune.
The combined area of the North and East Karbi Anglong wildlife sanctuaries comes to around 318 sq km, with the former covering 96 sq km and the latter 221.81 sq km � both being contiguous forests.
Rabha added that there was a plan to bring some more of the contiguous forested stretches widely used by Kaziranga�s wildlife under a protective mechanism, preferably by adding those to the proposed national park.
�The entire area actually forms a single contiguous belt for wildlife, necessitating enhanced security measures,� he said.
With migration of wildlife from Kaziranga National Park to the Karbi Anglong forests beyond its southern boundary showing an increasing trend, conservationists have long been stressing the need for a long-term safety mechanism for the animals.
While it is normal for animals to cross over to the Karbi Anglong highlands during the annual floods in Kaziranga, evidence is emerging that the trend of migration is not restricted to the flood season alone. Since the forest stretches used by Kaziranga�s wildlife in Karbi Anglong are mostly community forests and reserve forests (that lack the status of a protected area, i.e., wildlife sanctuary and national park), the situation might not be conducive to the wildlife�s long-term well-being unless some interventions are made.
Dr Bibhab Talukdar of conservation group Aaranyak, while welcoming the KAAC move, said that long-term well-being of Kaziranga�s wildlife warranted precisely such a step.
�It�s a contiguous ecological belt, and with the increase in Kaziranga�s animals, especially herbivores, there is an urgent need for more space, which can be provided by the Karbi Anglong forests. Long-ranging animals like elephant and tiger also naturally require extended space. A better security mechanism is, therefore, urgently needed,� he said.
The North and East Karbi Anglong wildlife sanctuaries are home to diverse wildlife including tiger, elephant, bear, hoolock gibbon, leopard, clouded leopard, pangolin, lesser cats, deer, etc., besides a large variety of reptiles and birds.