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Preparations on for Jeypore rain fest

By Staff CORRESPONDENT - 15 Sep 2010 12:00 AM GMT

DIBRUGARH, Aug 18 � Wish to experience the biodiversity of rich Assam valley�s wet evergreen rainforest with fun-filled events? Wait untill December. A five-day Jeypore Rain Forest Festival 2010 scheduled for the first week of December promises to give a complete package of holiday fun to visitors with elephant ride, boat rides and more.

Deputy Speaker of Assam Legislative Assembly Pranati Phukan, in whose home constituency the festival has been planned, held the first official discussion today with Deputy Commissioner G D Tripathi, Divisional Forest Officer Anurag Singh and Project Director of District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) Deepak Kumar Baruah. The meeting today decided to form a committee and sub-committees soon to distribute the responsibilities for organsing the mega festival.

It needs mention here that Forest and Tourism Minister Rockybul Hussain had recently assured that rainforest festival would become a regular event in Jeypore-Dehing forest lowlands of Upper Assam. The Minister, while inaugurating the forest heritage bungalow at Jeypore recently had told the local population in presence of Pranati Phukhan, that he would ensure organising the festival for the overall development of the area, also touching Digboi in Tinsukia district.

The Jeypore rainforest, which is not much known, is home to a large number of wildcat species including leopards and tigers. At least seven species were reportedly photo-documented by a wildlife biologist.

The Jeypore-Dehing forest landscape comprises the Dehing-Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS), Upper Dehing East and West Block Reserve Forests, Jeypore Reserve Forest and Dilli Reserve Forest spread across the three districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh and Sivasagar, covering an area of 575 sq. km, of which the protected area under Dehing Patkai WLS is only 111sq km. It is among the last lowland evergreen forests (Assam Valley Wet Evergreen Forest) remnants in the region.

The district which is naturally endowed with rivers, rainforests, wetlands and bird habitats, besides manmade lush tea plantations, will be highlighted during the festival at rich Jeypore rainforest. Rigorous efforts are being made to bring to limelight the rich tourist potential of the district during the five-day fun-filled festival.

As planned, troupes playing local folk music from all over Assam will be invited to play instrumental music to generate awareness of association of music with nature. Different stalls displaying local artifacts, clothes, tools instruments made by different tribes and ethnic people of Upper Assam, besides stall for display of local articles made of bamboo, wood, cane, other recyclable materials will make part of the festivals. There will also be stalls for display of various orchids of Assam and stalls for relishing local ethnic food from Upper Assam and other parts of the state, according to Divisional Forest Officer.