The environmental NGO Bahankshyam Unnayan Shakti is going to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) at National Green Tribunal (NGT) against the laid back attitude of the forest department and authorities of Dibru- Saikhowa National Park.
The NGO has come down heavily on the forest department and Dibru-Saikhowa National Park authorities for failing to properly dispose the carcasses of Asiatic wild buffalo which had died at the Park’s Maguri – Motapung Beel in Tinsukia recently.
As many as 15 wild buffaloes drowned to death at the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park’s Maguri-Motapung beel. The environmental NGO believes that due to the presence of huge number of water hyacinth in the beel, the wild buffaloes died. The beel is home to several migratory birds.
“For the disposal of the carcasses of wild buffaloes the forest department has done nothing. Till date no higher forest official and official from district administration has went to the place from where the carcasses was found. We have been very much dissatisfied with the role of forest department and going to file a PIL at NGT soon,” said Niranta Gohain, general secretary, Bahankshyam Unnayan Shakti.
He added there is a huge population of wild buffaloes in Dibru-Saikhowa National park. “Every day the buffalo herds cross the Dibru river and due to the heavy population of water hyacinth in Maguri beel the buffaloes stuck and died,” he said.
Gohain added that in monsoon season everyday one lakh water hyacinth are produced in the lake. Dibru Saikhowa National park has a heavy population of water hyacinth.
“During cleaning the Maguri- Motapung beel, we have found carcasses of three buffaloes. Due to flood the animals may be died. They have stuck at water hyacinth and died. Many years ago a population of Nepali people lived in the fringes of Dibru- Saikhowa National park and wild buffalo lived with them. They left the animals and went to other place. From that time the animals lived near Maguri- Motapung Beel,” said Mridul Dhar, the DFO of Tinsukia wild life division.