Bhubaneswar, Oct. 31: Till recently, it was under the threat of becoming a mining centre of an aluminium major. But Niyamgiri has now heaved a sigh of relief.

With its primitive tribal group and unique biodiver-sity, the hill range has the potential to be declared a critical wildlife habitat. The proposal to make it a wildlife sanctuary by the state forest department is yet to see the light of the day.

With a maximum elevation of 1,516 metres in the districts of Rayagada and Kalahandi, the Niyamgiri hill range is an ecologically rich area amidst the Eastern Ghats. The range consists of 721.323 hectare land including 672.018 hectares of forest and 49,305 hectares of non-forest land. It is home to high altitude flora and fauna and is known as the “Land of Dongrias”. The Dongrias are well-known primitive tribal group and they enjoy a critical and symbiotic relation with the Niyamgiri forests. The 2001 Census revealed that the total population of this Dongrias was only 7,952. The Dongria-Kondha economy and their socio-cultural lives are directly linked with Niyamgiri because 40 to 50 per cent of their annual income comes from selling minor forest products.

The vegetation of Niyamgiri is tropical moist deciduous type. Eight distinct types of vegetation depend on the local micro climate, plant density, species association and composition and effect of biotic and climatic factors. Deciduous forests cover more than 75 per cent of the landmass. The flora of the hill range exhibits a rich and varied assemblage of plants owing to its diversified topography with high mountain peaks and innumerable deep valleys, gorges, abundant springs and diverse vegetation resources.

Apart from Vamsadhara and Nagavali rivers, more than 100 streams including 25 major ones flow from the Niyamgiri hill range and most of these are perennial. These streams provide drinking as well as irrigation water to the agricultural fields of millions of people in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.

“The floral diversity of the hill ranges includes 602 plant species distributed over 114 families of angiosperms, gymnosperms and pteridophytes. They include 15 high altitude plants of both north and south Indian elements, 50 species medicinal plants (including 15 species of rare/ threatened/ conservation dependant plants), 31 species of orchids (including 15 rare species with medicinal uses) and 20 species of wild ornamental plants. More than 26 species are used as major NTFP’S by the Dongarias. Threatened medicinal plant species found in the area are Atylosia cajanifolia, Ceropegia hirsuta, Chirita hamosa, Costus speciosus, Gloriosa superba, Rauvolfia serpentina, Rubia cordifolia, Exacum bicolor, Pureria tuberosa, Oroxylum indicum, Stemona tuberose, Melasma thomsonii, Persea macrantha etc. In addition to it, there is a distinctive representation of orchids and ferns, bryophytes, lichens and fungi of high ecological significance,” ecologist Prasad Dash said.

Wildlife biologist Pratyush Mohapatra said the faunal diversity of the hills include 25 species of mammals most of which are enlisted under different categories of International Union of Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red Data Book. The herpetological faunal of Niyamgiri consists 20 species of amphibians, 19 species of lizards and 22 snake species. Two new species of frogs of the genus Duttaphrynus and Philautus were also discovered here. Earlier it was believed that the two species were only endemic to the Western Ghats. Their discovery in the Eastern Ghats, i.e. from the Niyamgiri Hill Range has emphasised the theory of landmass link between the two geographic regions of India. Apart from frogs, a skink of genus Scincella was recorded for the first time from Orissa. Niyamgiri forest boasts of a very good population of golden gecko, the endangered species of gecko, placed under Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. “The presence of golden gecko is characterised by the typical micro climate with high humidity, dark and cool place is an indicator of healthy ecosystem,” said Mohapatra.

“The Cantor’s black-headed snake (Sibynophis sagitaria) and St. Johns keel back (Xenochrophis sanctijohanis) were first reported in Orissa from Niyamgiri. The rediscovery of the Travancore Wolf Snake (Lycodon travancoricus) from the area has confirmed its distribution in the Eastern Ghats. Another important discovery of the survey was the cat snake (Boiga), which deserves another species status. This shows that Niyamgiri is one of the least studied habitats from herpetofaunal point of view,’’ he added.

With the availability of plenty of plants to provide fodder to elephants, Niyamgiri has become a major elephant corridor. The hill range is home to a number of vulnerable wildlife species including tigers, leopards, sloth bear, pangolin, palm civet, giant squirrel, mouse deer, langur and sambar. Reptiles like monitor lizards, chameleon, king cobra, krait, Indian cobra, banded krait, rat snake, keel back, sand boa and python are common in the hill ranges of Niyamgiri.

The top plateau is covered with grasses like Cymbopogon martini and Themada laxa, which provides the ideal playground and food for herbivores like barking deer, sambers, chittals, wild bores, spotted and mouse deer. Apart from this, the thick canopy of Niyamgiri is home to giant squirrels, flying squirrels and several rare and threatened birds. The unpolluted water of Niyamgiri holds a healthy population of the top predator of the aquatic eco-system, the small clawed otter. Similarly, there is a healthy population of sloth bear and leopards,” said a forest official.

Among orchids, there are only a few inhabitants of the semi-evergreen forests like the epiphytic Acampe ochracea, Bulbophyllum polyrhizum, Dendrobium bicameratum and terrestrial Habenaria stenopetala. The presence of a good moss cover on the forest floor and stones is an indicator of healthy moist condition in the forest, ecologist Prasad Dash said.

“During a survey, we encountered 15 species of bryophytes for the first time from Niyamgiri. They are Bryium argentium, Riccardia liverii, Heteroschypus argutus, Plagiochasma appendiculatum, Funaria hygrometrica and Herpetoneuron toccoi etc. which needs further investigation. Lichens are widely used as bio-indicators of forest health, biodiversity and ecological status of a forest. During the survey, we encountered 15 species of lichens. But due to lack of expertise, we could identify only three species which are very common in Niyamgiri. They are Parmelia sulctata, Parmelia saxitelis and Heterodermia didemata. This needs further investigations too,” Dash said.

Forest fungi are also valued for medicine, for their aesthetics, as bio-indicators of environmental quality and for bio-remediation. During their survey, Dash and his group sighted 15 species of wild fungi excluding the wild edible fungus consumed by the Dongarias as food. Due to the lack of expertise, the identification of those fungi could not be done. Due to the density of the canopy, there is an abundance of giant squirrels that prefer to nest in the tree-tops. Similarly, being at the top of the food chain, otters are indicators of good water quality in the aquatic ecosystem. The golden gecko (Calodactyloides aureus) is of special interest to world herpetologists as it represents one of two known genus of Callodactylodes, who are considered as Gondwana relics.

This gecko is one of the rarest lizards of India and is common in the Eastern Ghats. Earlier, they were only found at one location in Andhra Pradesh, but now large colonies of the golden gecko are found in Niyamgiri hills.

Experts are of the opinion that the region should be declared a national heritage site community reserve/conservation reserve/wildlife sanctuary to legally protect the ecology and biodiversity of the Niyamgiri ecosystem and the cultural, ethnic and traditional knowledge including the livelihood of the vulnerable Dongria Kondhs.

Destination: Niyamgiri Hill range near Lanjigarh
● Distance from Bhawanipatna: 65 km

● Distance of Bhubaneswar from Bhawanipatna: 426 km

● Distance from Rayagada (Nearest rail head on Berhampur-Vijaynagaram route) : 65 km

●Distance from Bhubaneswar via Redhakhol, Boudh and Sonepur: 400 km

Nearest airport from Lanjigarh :
● Raipur (350 km) and
● Bhubaneswar (426 km)

Best season: Round the year

To stay : Bhawanipatna or Rayagada where budget and standard hotels are available (Rs 400-1,000 per person). A hotel has also come up in Lanjigarh.

Best mode to travel: By road from Bhubaneswar via Bhawanipatna or taxi from Rayagada railway station.

What you can see: Tribal lifestyle of Dongria Kondh, nature at its best, streams, hill ranges with dense forests atop the bauxite mountains.

● At Niyamgiri: It is home to a number of vulnerable wildlife species including tiger, leopards, sloth bear, pangolin, palm civet, giant squirrel, mouse deer, langur and sambhar. Reptiles like monitor lizards, chameleon, king cobra, krait, Indian cobra, banded krait, rat snake, keel back, sand boa and python.

● At Lanjigarh: The historical fort of the erstwhile royals and
alumina refinery of Vedanta.