Assam government approves Second wildlife sanctuary in Barak Valley

• Image Credit: Internet

• Jul 24, 2022 | Sourav Boruah

 Digital Desk: Assam's Barak Valley, which is
home to numerous birds and mammals, may soon acquire a second wildlife
sanctuary thanks to Governor Jagdish Mukhi's approval of a plan to establish
Barak Bhuban Wildlife Sanctuary.

The Borail Wildlife Sanctuary is also located
in the Barak Valley.

According to a formal order dated July 19,
"the Governor of Assam is pleased to declare its intention to constitute
the area described in the Schedule annexed hereto as the Barak Bhuban Wildlife
Sanctuary" in accordance with the authority granted by Section 35 of the
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as amended up to the present.

Between the Sonai and Barak rivers, 320 square
kilometres will make up the Barak Bhuban Wildlife Sanctuary.

The order further stated that "The
Governor of Assam hereby designates the Deputy Commissioner, Cachar, Silchar,
to inquire into and determine the existence, the nature, and the extent of any
rights/claims alleged to exist in favour of any person or persons, in or over
any land within the limit described in the schedule below."

Slow loris, rhesus macaque, pig-tailed
macaque, stump-tailed macaque, Assamese macaque, capped langur, phayre's leaf
monkey, and hoolock gibbon are the eight primate species that have been
identified in the area.

The Cachar Forest Division claims that the
king cobra uses it as a crucial habitat.

Rajdeep Roy, a BJP member from Silchar, put
forth the idea for the sanctuary's development last year.

Roy expressed his happiness at the prospect of
the idea becoming a reality.

"The BJP-led NDA administration makes
decisions quickly and puts them into action even more quickly. Therefore, I
have complete faith that improvements will occur on the ground without taking
months or years. I anticipate that this project will undergo significant
adjustments during the next three to six months," says Roy.

When asked how the sanctuary would help the
Barak Valley, he responded that it would be beneficial because there is a Shiva
temple close by the area where the Bhuban Wildlife Sanctuary is planned, and
that the two together may help attract tourists and generate jobs.

Therefore, we can attract many small business
houses to launch small businesses because the sanctuary and temple are close
by. Perhaps the hotel sector and other things will emerge gradually... I
believe the establishment of the sanctuary will ultimately help the local
population and allow for the development of a healthy environment in the area,
he continued.

The Barak Valley, which bears the name of the second-largest
river in the northeast, is home to 550 species of birds and 100 species of
animals.

Three districts make up this region: Cachar, Hailakandi, and
Karimganj.