From Our Correspondent
GUWAHATI: As the winter sets in the lush green Brahmaputra Valley in Assam, the workload increases manifold for the wildlife protection personnel, green warriors/brigades and even the villagers to keep a close watch on the splendour of bio-resources on the valley.
Long ranging wild elephants come out the forest on searches of food and water in paddy fields, sugarcane fields, wetlands surrounded by human habitat which may lead to human-elephant conflict that has already reached an alarming proportion in Assam. It becomes a herculean task to tackle the conflict but for active cooperation from villagers who have to be sensitised to observe extreme patience.
One-horned rhinoceros may come out of the protected areas thereby getting exposed to hunters on the prowl. The villagers need to remain on alert in such cases so that wildlife protection staff could be alerted on time to keep the rhino hunters at bay.
The numerous wetlands that dot the valley both within and outside protected forest areas are thronged by varied and precious migratory birds around this season running the risk of killing by greedy miscreants. The protection of these species too become a major task with active cooperation from villagers and other stakeholders.
So, as the winter dawns on the valley, green brigades here get busy with striking coordination among villagers, forest/wildlife personnel, police officials and administration for protection of these precious species.
“Winter is pleasant for all us dwelling in the valley. The atmosphere is cool, the paddy fields are loaded with ripe crop, the valley is teeming with tourists and wildlife enthusiasts. It is also time to remain alert against wildlife hunters. So, we strive for creating a synergy among common villagers, village defence organisations, panchayat bodies, enforcement agencies including forest department and the administration to protect the precious animals,” said Dr Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, an internationally-reputed conservation scientists and the CEO of Aaranyak.
