North by Northeast

This majestic hoolock gibbon seems to be telling the cameraman to take a good picture or else…

By N. Shiva Kumar

Namdhapa tropical rain forest in Arunchal Pradesh boasts such exotic wildlife as tiger, leopard and the rare hoolock gibbon, notes N. Shiva Kumar

The Himalayas were awesome with their snow decked peaks as I peeped through the aircraft's windows while flying into Dibrugarh airport in Assam. From Delhi, it was a long cramped flight, but seeing the mighty meandering Brahmaputra down below in so many twists and turns like liquid threads was equally breathtaking. As I deplaned my three friends were waiting and we took off for another adventure. Driving through lush manicured tea gardens, we encountered milestones with remarkable names like Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Digboi and Margherita, etc., some of which were branded by British in their heydays of colonial India.

After crossing Assam we moved into Arunachal Pradesh, one of India's least populated states and one of the most densely forested landscapes in the country. By the time we reached Miao circuit house, the destination for the night, it was delightfully dark even though it was just 7 p.m. Miao is pronounced as ‘meow', like the purr of a cat. Here it gets dark by 4.30 in the evening, a good two to three hours ahead of what we are used to back in Delhi.

Miao is on the very edge of Namdapha National Park, a dense, pristine and virgin tropical rainforest spread across 2000 sq km in Arunachal's Changlang district and running along the international border between India and Myanmar (Burma). I discovered it's the only national park in the world that is home to four species of big cat — tiger, leopard, snow leopard and clouded leopard. These jungles also have one of the rarest pine trees, unique orchids like the Blue Vanda and the Tarzan-like apes called hoolock gibbons which rarely step on to the ground. There are multitudes of birds with fluty songs in the concealed jungle growth. Not to speak of beautiful butterflies, reptiles, numerous insects and medicinal herbs.

Curiosity got the better of us, so we decided only to have a short tea break at Miao and drive to a forest rest-house deep in the forest at Deban, 25 km away. Driving in the darkness in all terrain jeeps, with only the star-studded sky as a guiding light was mesmerising. The piercing beams from headlights effectively dislodged the eeriness and meekly exposed the narrow rubble road that was almost overgrown with wild plants and creepers. We were in our element and already looking for that elusive wildlife armed with cameras and flashguns. It was as if we were lost in the thick jungles — and this is certainly not for the faint-hearted.

Finally, the forest spirits seemed to take over and we got a flat tyre in the middle of nowhere. We were apprehensive but the jungle was generous and rewarded us for our genuine intentions. We espied the nocturnal and arboreal flying squirrels scrambling on a tall tree, their eyes glinting in our searchlights. We left immediately once the tyre was fixed and proceeded into more darkness to reach our two-storied circular guesthouse. It was midnight and outlandishly silent.

Buzz of insects

The next morning we woke up to a strange ringing of temple bells. Must be some tribal ritual in the forest, we thought, but the caretaker serving us piping hot tea in the cold morning, dispelled all such notions, informing us it was just the collective buzz of certain insects. Tin-tin-tin, trin-trin-trin, it went on and on with no perfect crescendo. The insects in question are hardly seen, even by the locals, but their resonance reverberates through the jungle most of the time. Looking out of the balcony of the guesthouse I spotted the Noa Dihing River in blue, glistening in the morning sun. After the last night's adventure, the jungles of Namdapha were finally visible, wonderfully decked in shades of green. The sea of foliage was soothing to the eye.

The river appears deceptively calm while walking along its banks, but try crossing it on a boat or elephant and you would feel the powerful tug of its current. Deban may have no mobile network, even electricity and tap water but it is in no short supply of crisp clean air, beautiful bright sunlight and clear waters. As passionate birdwatchers, we quickly polished off breakfast and packed some eats for an entire day out in the jungle, looking for those flying bundles of feathers.

The forest department had assigned two of their best men to guide us through the enchanting forest for the next three days. We went for a leisurely walk along the dried up river bed, precariously balancing over smooth stones and boulders. As there are no motorable roads one has to trek and camp to explore the rest of the vast wilderness. We were accompanied by a young male elephant to carry the heavy gear and paraphernalia.

We spent the days birding in and around Deban and went river rafting for short distances, enjoying the thrill of fast waters. As the rainforest is laid out in layers of leaves right up to the canopy, held together by branches and vines, we spotted numerous colourful birds, fleeting over the tall trees or hiding under the thick undergrowth. Visibility was reduced to less than three feet with the trees towering over us and shutting out the rays of the sun. Photography in such conditions was near impossible, but with digital cameras we managed to shoot some pictures. We crossed fast flowing streams with chilled waters flowing into the main river. Once in a while, a steep trek into the forest looking for flora and fauna was daunting.

HOOLOCK GIBBON

This region is the home of the hoolock gibbon, one of the rarest apes on earth that swings from tree to tree. It is a creature of the upper canopy of the forest, eats fruits, flowers and insects, and sleeps on a bed of leaves and branches. Gibbons have no tail but extremely long arms and legs for agility in tree-to-tree travelling. Occasionally they descend to the ground and walk on two legs like a human being. We were fortunate to see a whole troop creating a ruckus on the treetops. One black male with pretty white brows was dangling, swinging and hooting loudly to a mate nearby. Hoolocks are largely territorial and fiercely monogamous and love their partners intensely. Infidelity is a strict no-no. We are no tree people but certainly fall short of the hoolock in the test of character!

Source: The Hindu

Climate change to have large-scale effect on NE biodiversity

The impact of climate change is likely to result in large-scale changes in the biodiversity of the Northeast, a study has revealed.

The study, sponsored by The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI), has warned that change in temperature, quantum and intensity of rainfall coupled with extreme weather conditions would have a long-term impact, particularly on the structure and composition of forests in the region.

The impact is likely to be more severe in areas where other pressures are deemed to be high, including stability of the natural systems affected due to socio-economic pressures such as encroachment on forest areas, over-grazing, felling of trees for jhum cultivation, etc.

With the impact not being uniform across the region, it is expected to be higher in certain areas and on certain communities because of various factors.

They include physio-geographic and topographic features, degree of association with climate-sensitive environments and ecosystems, socio-economic, political and cultural characteristics of the region and communities, the study pointed out.

The study seeks to understand the factors that determine the vulnerability of the Northeast in terms of the effect of the climatic change and identify measures to reduce the impact.

The study asserted that despite its rich natural resources, the region lagged behind others in terms of social and economic development.

Comprising eight states - Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura, the area is unique due to its rich forest resources that account for nearly 25 per cent of the total forest cover in India and covers nearly 66.8 per cent of its geographical area, much higher than the national average of 21 per cent.

With a total population of about 38 million (3.8 per cent of the country’s total population), the region has observed changes in its demographic and socio-economic profile, which have acted as important drivers for the alteration in its resource base.

The last three decades have witnessed intense land use change with increase in the demand for urbanisation, grazing, agricultural land and settlements, increased demand for fodder, fuel wood and timber production.

It is estimated that approximately 30 per cent of the total forest cover in the region is under pressure due to these factors, the TERI study said.

Besides pressures from natural hazards such as floods, forest fires and landslides, the study pointed out, seismic activity further exposed the region to the threats.

Lack of effective early warning systems and disaster management systems further intensify the impact of natural hazards, it pointed out.

The incidence of poverty is high with the percentage of population living below the poverty line as high as 32 per cent, much higher than the all India average of 21.6 per cent.

The study further said that the region had a low level of industrialisation and lacked infrastructure facilities to be able to exploit its rich natural resources.

Though it is sparsely populated with an overall density of 149 persons per sq km compared to the country’s average 313 per sq km (census, 2001), the region has, however, recorded a high population growth with the decadal growth higher than the national level of 21.5 per cent.

Source: The Hindu

The great carbon bazaar - Tehelka

By Avalok Langer & Yamini Deenadayalan New Delhi

By the late 1990s, the idea of global warming had become real. For the developed world, however, emission reduction at the cost of industry-driven growth was a tough pill. Its ‘Zen’ moment finally came in 1997 in Japan with the Kyoto Protocol signed under the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC). All the signatories agreed to reduce their annual greenhouse gas emissions by a pre-determined amount from 2008-12. It was handshakes all around as 37 countries and the European Union created carbon credits. Through this system, developed nations could claim emission reduction by bringing down emissions in developing countries like India instead of their own. This led to the creation of a new and Byzantine market essentially trading in the transportation of guilt. India is only second to China in the carbon credits market and will have a potential market value of $3.6 billion by 2012. However, as industries scramble for financial incentives, strange little soap operas and games of ecological blackmail play out on the ground. Welcome to the bazaar.

Avalok Langer is a Correspondent with Tehelka.
avalok@tehelka.com
Yamini Deendayalan is a Features Correspondent with Tehelka.
yamini@tehelka.com

Link: The Great Carbon Bazaar:-Tehelka

North East Cultural Centre to be set up in Delhi

The Government will set up a North East Cultural Centre here to promote rich and diverse culture and heritage of the region.

The Centre will be set up jointly by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DONER) and the Culture Ministry.

DONER Minister B K Handique said the Centre will be established within the complex of Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT) at Dwarka in West Delhi.

“This is one of the outcomes of discussions Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had with a delegation of students from the North East in December 2009,” Mr. Handique said.

He said the NECC will be a permanent platform in the national capital for cultural exchange not only among the people of the North East living in Delhi but also with those from other parts of the country.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/article2071148.ece

Haul raises spectre of tiger poaching

Haul raises spectre of tiger poaching

 

Forest officials in the Northeast are keeping their fingers crossed, hoping that the upcoming tiger census will throw up a larger count of the big cats. The 2005-08 estimate had pegged the tiger population in Assam at 70. Sources said though there was no confirmed case of poaching of tigers in Assam, the situation in the Northeast’s other tiger reserves was not that too rosy.

Three tiger reserves in the region have been graded as “poor”. These are the ones at Manas in Assam, Dampa in Mizoram and Namdapha in Arunachal Pradesh. 

Tiger reserves at Kaziranga in Assam and Pakke in Arunachal Pradesh have earned “good” status tag while the one in Nameri in Assam has been graded “satisfactory”. The grading is done by the National Tiger Conservation Authority.

The latest haul of tiger bones by the customs has aggravated fear that the tigers are being hunted. Guwahati customs recently seized 10.2kg skulls and bones of full-grown tigers. “There is some network and support in the protected area but once out, the tigers are at risk,” Rajesh Gopal, a member secretary of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, told this correspondent. “Once they stray out from Kaziranga to Karbi Anglong, all animals face threats,” Firoz Ahmed of Aaranyak, an NGO, said. During floods, many animals seek refuge in the highlands in Karbi Anglong and adjacent reserve forests like Panbari, Bagser and Kukurakata close to the park’s boundary. Chief wildlife warden, Assam, Suresh Chand, said there had not been any instance of confirmed tiger poaching in the state. 

The executive director of the Wildlife Protection Society of India, Belinda Wright, said there was admiration for the authorities of Kaziranga for the protection measures initiated by them, but little could be done when the animals venture out of the safe zones. “Tiger poaching is done surreptitiously and it is difficult to track the people who are in this trade,” Wright says, adding that one must not forget Sariska and Panna national parks. In a recent incident of straying, a tiger was spotted in Upper Assam after killing two persons. It was later rehabilitated in Manas National Park. An official of Kaziranga National Park said: “It is not easy for the poachers to target tigers here unlike the rhinos. The thick grasses of the national park are a deterrent.” 

Courtesy: The Telegraph

Cop help to save wildlife

Cop help to save wildlife

To give teeth to its operations in the state, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau will soon appoint an Assam police officer of a rank not less than deputy inspector-general of police as the nodal officer here. The senior police officer would be the bureau’s second nodal officer in the state, the first being conservator of forest S.S. Rao who was appointed a few months ago. Rao said that the involvement of the police department was essential as the bureau planned to build up a strong intelligence network to check the recent spurt in wildlife crime in the state. The move follows the recovery of large consignments of animal parts from the state, the latest being the seizure of tiger bones and pangolin scales from the airport here last week. The poaching of rhinos in the state’s national parks has also increased. “Trade in wildlife parts has turned into a lucrative business and we need help from the police and other agencies to fight it,” a senior official of the bureau said. “Apart from the police, we are also in touch with the army, the BSF, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and the Sashastra Seema Bal,” Rao said.

The bureau had set up two regional offices in the Northeast — in Manipur and here — about six months ago. Manipur’s border town of Moreh is believed to be the main route through which wildlife parts from the region, particularly Assam, find their way to the international market. The forest department is also trying to train fresh rangers to check wildlife crime in the state, which houses several national parks and sanctuaries. A senior forest official said a commando of the elite National Security Guard (NSG) was imparting rigorous training to about 250 recruits, including women, at the Assam forest school in Jalukbari. 

“Poachers are no longer armed with single-barrel guns but sophisticated weapons and also have links with militants. We need well-trained forest staff to fight them,” he added. Rangers at Kaziranga and Orang national parks had recovered telescopic rifles and poisoned-tipped bullets from poachers a few years ago. The forest official said the NSG training would be a moral booster for forest guards.

Courtesy: The Telegraph

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to organize long march to Tipaimukh dam in India

 

 

Main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), headed by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, is set to come up with a programme of long march towards Tipaimukh dam of India in the coming winter to protest the Indian move to construct the dam over the common river Barak.

BNP will not go for any tough anti-government movement now considering the rainy season and the upcoming holy month of Ramzan, Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman, a member of BNP standing committee, the highest policymaking body of the party, told newsmen here on Tuesday. After the July 7 countrywide human chain programme, the BNP may confine its programmes to public rallies and processions, he said. Mahbub thinks that considering the Tipamukh dam as a big national issue BNP will announce a long march towards it during the next winter season.  He, however, said the long march programme was being finalized by the party.  Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, during her trip to Delhi in January this year, urged her Indian counterpart Dr Manmohan Singh not to go ahead with the Tipaimukh dam construction as she said, it would sp[ell disaster for Bangladesh.

Bangladesh last year officially asked New Delhi to suspend construction of the Tipaimukh dam on the River Barak in the state of Assam in India, on the upstream of the River Meghna in Bangladesh.
“We have requested the government of India to suspend construction of the Tipaimukh dam until resolving the water sharing of the trans-boundary rivers,” foreign minister, Dr Dipu Mani, told the parliament. She said that the government had sought from India a report on the latest position of the construction of the dam.  The water resources ministry has also requested its counterpart in India to include the issue of Tipaimukh dam in the agenda of the 37th meeting of the Joint River Commission of the two countries, the foreign minister added.

The experts, including former Joint Rivers Commission member Dr Ainun Nishat, expressed concern over India’s start of construction of the multipurpose dam, which would leave adverse impact on the livelihood, ecology and economy in Bangladesh. 

 

(Courtesy: APP)