Conservation Award to Udalguri tea gardens

Bhootiachang and Paneri tea gardens of Udalguri district under MacLeod Russel India have been awarded 'Elephants Conservation Award 2014' recently at a ceremony at Nonai Forest Range Office on June 13. The award was launched last year by Elephants on the Line,a programme organized by a few elephant loving people and officials of USA,Bhutan and India last year for the conservation of wild elephants and to work jointly for mitigation of man-elephant conflict in Udalguri villages district bordering Bhutan. The one year programme was supported by North Carolina State University,USA in association with Udalguri administration and Dhansiri Forest Division,Udalguri. The programme has promoted solving of India-Bhutan trans border conservation issues.It also opened up windows of cooperation among civil,forest and people of both the countries since July 2014. The award ceremony which was held at Nonai Forest Range Office was conducted by EOL Assam coordinator J.K.Das. Sadhana Hojai,Deputy Commissioner presented the 'Elephant Conservation Award 2014' to AK Sing,Senior Manager of Bhootiachang tea garden while noted journalist and Managing Editor of DY365 Pranay Bordoloi (Also the Hony.Member of Assam Wildlife Board) presented the award to Wasim Haque of Paneri tea garden.

DC Hojai expressed her satisfaction at the good works done by the tea gardens.She also appealed all the tea gardens of the district to work hard to mitigate HEC in Udalguri and to plant as much as trees in vacant lands to prevent further encroachment.Pranoy Bordoloi assured EOL members all possible help and cooperation for the conservation of flora and fauna of Assam. He requested EOL for its expansion on all Assam level. AK Sing ,Senior Manager of Bhootiachang tea garden while thanking EOL members,district administration and forest department for the award assured that their tea gardens would do more good works for the conservation and welfare of both wild elephants and villagers. On the issue he assured to sponsor two domestic Kunki elephant to be deployed in HEC villages.

The award presentation ceremony was attended by several distinguished people including- GN Adhikari, DFO,Dhansiri Forest Division,Udalguri;Mubina Akhtar, EOL Core Member and Hony.Member of Assam Wildlife Board; Dipen Boro,EOL Core Member and Central Vice President,ABSU etc.It needs mentioning that a two days workshop on GPS/GIS/RS was also arranged by Elephants on the Line for EOL and forest officials which was conducted by Pranjit Sarma and Bipul Das of Aranyak, Assam on June 12 and 13 at Nonai Forest Range Office.

Indo-Bhutan border:World Environment Day was observed in various places of Bhergaon sub-division in Udalguri district on June 5 with variety of programmes. In Bornadi Wildlife Sanctuary near Indo-Bhutan border,the day was celebrated with a district level workshop on identification of local plants and habitat. It was organised jointly by “Elephants on the Line” and forest staff of Bornadi Wildlife Sanctuary. Dr.Pranjal Bezbarua conducted the day long workshop which was inaugurated by wildlife activist Jayanta Kumar Das at 10 am.Twenty members of EOL and five forest officials of Bornadi Wildlife Sanctuary participated in the programme.NC Thakuria,Range Officer,Bornadi WLS attended it as the guest of honour. Speaking on the occasion the Range Officer spoke on severe human elephant conflict with special reference to Udalguri and Bhutan where more than sixty people and twenty eight wild elephants have died in last three years. According to him herds of wild elephants come down to Udalguri villages adjunct to Bhutan hills not because of food or water but the safety of the new born babies, as the new born babies can not walk on muddy and sleepery hilly lands in Bhutan. He requested all to join hands to minimize HEC casualities in the district by creating awareness among people.

Dipen Boro,central vice president of ABSU and Buddhi Ram Boro,former advisor of ABSU district committee also attended the workshop as invited guests. The sanctuary authority took all the participants inside the sanctuary for a technical session.The participants planted a few saplings in the sanctuary on the occasion of WED.

WE Day was also observed centrally at Khalingduar Reserve Forest neat Bhutan border. Dhansiri Forest Division,Udalguri organized the programme at Nonai Range Office. Man-elephant conflict being the burning issue in the district,massive plantation programme specially with elephant fodder species were planted of the periphery of Khalingduar Reserve Forest. As per traditional system, a worship to wild elephants was organized inside the forest before the plantation programme. Sadhana Hojai,DC,Udalguri; Suresh Tanti,MCLA,BTC; GN Adhikari, DFO,Udalguri;SDO (C) and SDPO,Bhergaon sub-division; army officers of Hatigarh army camp; SSB officers of 23 and 37 BN; tea garden managers of Bhutiachang, Nonaipara and Borongajuli were among those attended the programme beside students and villagers of the locality. At Kalaigaon DN Hazarika ,Circle Officer,Kalaigaon Revenue Circle organized WED celebration with day long programme.A mini garden named -“Mor Kon Bagicha” was inaugurated by Utpal Sarma.