Guwahati, 31st October: In a bid to safeguard the habitat of endangered vulture species in the Parbatjhora Suparighat area, part of Kokrajhar district bordering Dhubri district, the Executive Member of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) initiated the construction of a protective boundary wall on October 30.
Ranjit Basumatary, BTC’s executive member for forest and revenue, launched this project valued at approximately 1.5 crore rupees to preserve the sanctuary and roosting trees of the endangered White-rumped vultures (Gyps bengalensis) and Himalayan Griffon (Gyps himalayensis) from illegal encroachment.
The Mahamaya area, where the White-rumped vultures spend their years, is rich with old, flourishing Sal trees and other indigenous trees intricately intertwined with their ecosystems. The annual visitor, the Himalayan Griffon, arrives in the region for breeding during the winter months and remains for approximately four to six months each year.
To support this cause, Ranjit Basumatary, BTC Executive Member, secured funding from the Indian Ministry of Forest and Environment to construct a brick wall and chain-link border fence, ensuring the protection of this vulnerable region for vultures that play a crucial role in the environment.
During a media address, EM Basumatary criticized BPF Chief Hagrama Mohilary, accusing him of establishing tea gardens by illegally encroaching 150 bighas of Reserve forest land in the name of his father-in-law. He pledged that the BTC government would not tolerate such actions, emphasizing that an eviction drive would soon target such lands.
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