KALAIGAON, July 25 - A nature exposure tour was organised recently for the child inmates of Kasturi Sishu Griha, Mangaldai on July 21. The programme was sponsored jointly by Kalaigaon Sevashram and Aryabhatta Science Centre Udalguri district committee and was guided by Jayanta Das, Hony Wildlife Warden, Assam. Fourteen inmates of the child care home and guide teachers were taken to picturesque JFMC man-made forest at Bhairabkunda bordering Assam-Arunachal Pradesh-Bhutan, where people of six villages have grown more than 15 lakhs valuable trees since 2007.
The villagers virtually converted a barren sandy and rocky area of 5500 bighas of land into a new pristine man-made forest with several artificial streams crisscrossing its boundary. The plantation was started in the year 2007 and due to dedicated hard work and love for nature, all the planted saplings numbering more than 15 lakhs have now grown up well providing good shelter for wild animals and birds.
According to Esmail Daimary, secretary of the JFMC forest, who also was accompanying the minor inmates of child charity home, informed that herds of wild elephants had taken shelter in the forest since last three years which will, of course, help to reduce causality of both man and wild elephants in the district.
He also informed that other wild animals and birds like leopard, deer, wild boar, hare, various species of monitor lizards, snakes including the paradise flying snakes, peacock, horn bill, etc., have been attracted to the new man-made forest. The day-long activity events namely, trekking in the forest, singing, dancing etc., were arranged for the downtrodden children, having none in their families to take good care of them. The children were thrilled to complete a six-kilometre-long jungle trekking including crossing of several streams much to their delight.
They also had interactive sessions during the trekking on the necessity of conservation of flora and fauna. Rashmi Rekha Sarma, Coordinator of Kasturi Sishu Griha (run by Mahila Kalyan Samaj, Mangaldai) also accompanied the children in their first-ever real time jungle adventure experience.
It needs to be mentioned here that Kasturi Sishu Griha was first established at Mangaldai in the year 2014 with just one child. It was registered in 2016 and at present has 14 boys and girls who are undergoing their studies under the care of the Sishu Griha management committee.
