Dibru­ Saikhowa National Park

Dibru­ Saikhowa National Park- Relevance for UPSC Exam

• GS Paper 3: Environment: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation.

Dibru­ Saikhowa National Park- Context

• Recently, the Supreme Court formed an expert committee led by former Justice B.P. Katakey to assess the damage and the cost of reparation of the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park and surrounding ecologically fragile areas of Assam, which were damaged in the Baghjan oil well fire in May 2020.
• Justice Katakey’s committee substitutes the National Green Tribunal’s 10-member committee led by the Assam Chief Secretary.

Background

• Environmental clearances for the seven proposed drilling sites in the Dibru- Saikhowa National Park were given by the Ministry of Environment to Oil India Corporation (OIL).
• Then the Baghjan pipe oil well had caught fire and caused extensive damage to flora and fauna in the area.
• NGT ordered a probe into the damage and the cost of reparation of the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park and surrounding ecologically fragile areas of Assam.

Dibru­ Saikhowa National Park-Key Points

• About: Dibru­ Saikhowa National Park is located located in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts of Assam.
  • It is a National Park as well as a Biosphere Reserve situated in the south bank of the river Brahmaputra.
• Dibru­ Saikhowa National Park is bounded by the Brahmaputra and Lohit Rivers in the north and Dibru river in the south.

Dibru­ Saikhowa National Park– Ecological Significance

• Protection Status: It is a National Park as well as a Biosphere Reserve situated in the south bank of the river Brahmaputra.
  • Dibru­ Saikhowa National Park was designated a Biosphere Reserve in July 1997 with an area of 765 sq.km.
  • Dibru­ Saikhowa National Park is identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by Birdlife International. It is most famous for the rare white-winged wood ducks and feral horses.
• Forest Type: Dibru-Saikhowa comprises semi-evergreen forests, deciduous forests, littoral and swamp forests, and patches of wet evergreen forests.
  • The Park is renowned for the natural regeneration of Salix trees.
  • Maguri Motapung wetland is a part of the Reserve.
• Key wildlife: Dibru­ Saikhowa National Park is known to provide habitat to 36 species of mammals like Tiger, Elephant, Leopard, Jungle Cat, Bears, Small Indian Civet, Squirrels, Gangetic Dolphin, Hoolock Gibbon, etc.