GUWAHATI:
Assam’s Garbhanga Reserve Forest, located on the southern periphery of Guwahati touching the Meghalaya border, will soon be the 25th wildlife sanctuary of the state.
“117 sq km out of the total area of the Rani and Garbhanga wildlife sanctuary have been preliminary-notified to be declared as wildlife sanctuary. After settlement of rights, final notification will be released,” said Rohini Ballav Saikiaa, DFO, Kamrup East Division, on April 9.
The Garbhanga Reserve Forest serves as a natural elephant corridor by linking about 70 km of the reserve from the hills of the Meghalaya plateau into the Deepor Beel in the north.
“In exercise of the powers conferred under Section 18(1), (2) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as amended up-to-date, the governor of Assam is pleased to declare its intention to constitute the land described in the Schedules annexe here to as Garbhanga Wildlife Sanctuary,” a notification from the governor read.
The Governor, further appointed the deputy commissioner of Kamrup (Metropolitan) district to act as collector under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 under Section 18(B) of the Wildlife (Protection), Act, 1972 to inquire into and determine the existence, nature and extent of rights of any person in or over the land comprised within the limits.
“The inquiry into the above will be as per procedure laid in Section 19 to 26A of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972,” the notification added.
The Garbhanaga Reserve Forest is home to a wide variety of wild animals such as leopards, slow lorises, Assamese macaques, elephants, hoolock gibbons, bison and other common wild animals such as deer and wild cats. The forest is also an ideal breeding place for big animals, such as elephants and leopards.
The state government is also in the process of declaring two other reserve forests, the North Karbi Anglong Wildlife Sanctuary and Bordoibam Bilmukh Bird Wildlife Sanctuary (BTR) as wildlife Sanctuaries.