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| Kaziranga National Park |
Guwahati, Jan. 31: After a century of existence, Kaziranga National Park is taking guard for another long innings as the flagbearer of conservation in this part of the country.
The Kaziranga centennial that begins next week will not just be about celebrating 100 years of conservation, but looking beyond and devising strategies to face the challenges that lie ahead. The Assam government is already charting a long-term plan, Vision Kaziranga Beyond 2005, to keep the world heritage site?s flag flying high.
Forest minister Pradyut Bordoloi said a galaxy of conservation experts from across the world would visit Kaziranga for the centenary bash and to deliberate on various issues concerning the development of the sanctuary.
It will be the biggest congregation of naturalists, field managers, policy makers and non-government organisations involved in conservation of nature.
The government will put the official stamp on the discussions by formulating a ?Kaziranga declaration?, Bordoloi said.
Looking beyond Kaziranga, the experts will also take up challenging conservation issues that may affect this part of the globe over the next century.
Bordoloi said the time was ripe to reflect on several challenges that lie ahead, especially control of poaching, cattle-grazing in wildlife habitats and other biotic disturbances, erosion, silt accumulation and floods. ?These are all relevant to the sustenance of dynamic ecosystems such as Kaziranga.?
The minister said burning grasslands could have a long-term impact on the species composition of grasses.
Officials said the rare and endangered Bengal Florican (Houbaropsis Benghalensis) breeds in the Kaziranga grassland and the time of burning can greatly affect their nesting behaviour which usually starts by end of February every year. Similarly the impact of grassland burning on other nesting birds, slow moving reptiles has not been extensively studied.
Similarly, the impact of siltation, invasive species such as Mimosa, Mikenia, Eichornia and Rosa are a cause of concern for which solutions have to be found.
The minister also visualised Kaziranga as a corporate destination. He said an international 500-seater air-conditioned convention centre with ethnic ambience, where companies can hold meetings, has already come up inside the park. An interpretation centre is also coming up.
Among the tourist attractions, a mahout village is being set up near Bagori range office with the help of elephant trainer Parbati Barua to depict the life of mahouts through the ages in Assam. ?There are records to show that the art of elephant capturing first originated in Assam and this event would be a perfect occasion to show it,? he added.
A food festival, Ethnic Exotica, promises to tickle the tastebuds with traditional cuisines of the region.
The Kaziranga festival, which will be held from February 11 to February 17, will also have a handloom bazar where ethnic handicrafts will be displayed and sold by self-help groups.