Jokai Reserve Forest

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Jokai Reserve Forest

A Breath of Fresh Air

There have always been complaints from workaholics in the Upper Assam town of Dibrugarh that they never find a place which can serve as a perfect hang out where they can recharge their batteries before they resume their routine work schedule in a fresh week. Well the complaints from this set of people and also those who love nature is likely to be all over – courtesy the Dibrugarh Forest Division – which had initiated an eco-tourism project adjacent to the Jokai Botanical Garden and Germplasm Centre in the Jokai Reserve Forest which is only 15 kms from Dibrugarh town. After concentrated pressure and repeated pleas by the Dibrugarh Forest Division, the North East Council (NEC) had finally agreed to finance a 2.34 crore project which has been christened as the Jokai Botanical Garden Development and Ecotourism Project.
“We are going to add another 35 hectares to the existing 32 hectares of the botanical garden, additional plantation of various important species which are on the verge of extinction will be planted in these additional areas, moreover, we will also have a library adjacent to the interpretation centre, we will arrange for screening of movies and documentaries on weekends for students and visitors,” Anurag Singh, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Dibrugarh division said.
The Jokai Reserve Forest had been a rich treasure trove of various species of flora and fauna which included some important species which are nearly extinct now. Besides, the reserve forest is also home to various types of butterflies. Some of the commonly found animals are the Assamese macaque, leopards, elephants, deer, and wild buffaloes, slow lorris, civet cats, etc. Jokai which houses a lot of fruit bearing trees attracts a large number of migratory birds every year and around 100 species of these migratory along with residential birds had been recorded in the reserve forest. Moreover, there are around 17 species of reptiles present here.
“There will also be an orchid house since Jokai has around 20 to 25 varieties of orchids,” the DFO said.
The huge water body - which is known as Erashuti - attached to the reserve forest is also home to various types of indigenous fishes, turtles, etc. and the forest department has plans now to introduce boating in these water bodies.
“Utmost care has been taken not to disturb the habitat of the water fowls which make their nests in these water bodies. The nesting, laying of eggs, bringing up their young will be a rare experience for our visitors to witness from a designated distance in country boats as we will not allow machanised boats,” Singh, an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer said.
The department will construct eco-huts in and around the Erashuti to house tourists who want to spend time in the ambience of nature.
“The eco-huts will be built in a traditional way using materials like bamboo, timber, thatch etc, some cementing work will be done keeping in view the comfort level of the tourists, however, the general look will be completely traditional,” Singh added.
Performances by local cultural troupes of the adjacent seven forest villages will be an added attraction during the evenings. During the days, the visitors can indulge in trekking; take elephant rides and also jeep safaris. There will also be traditional food courts serving ethnic food. Taking care of the entire exercise is a management committee which will be formed and which will have representatives from the Dibrugarh district administration, forest department, local environmental NGOs, village heads of the surrounding villages and prominent citizens of Dibrugarh town.
“All the proceeds from the visitors will go to the committee which will utilize this for the maintenance of the amenities as well as socio-economic development of the surrounding villages,” Singh added.
The Jokai Reserve Forest like many other reserve forests, sanctuaries and national parks of the state is very poorly guarded in terms of man power.
“For an area of around 1300 hectares, there is a staff of only seven headed by a beat officer, this is totally inadequate, the government must urgently address this issue in order to preserve the forest,” Nakul Khound, the Coordinator of IRAB-KIRAB, an environmental NGO said.
The DFO agreed that the forest staff currently posted to man the Jokai Reserve Forest is inadequate. “Conservation and protection of forests is an issue which the department can not address single handedly, for this we need the cooperation of the local community, this is why we have decided to involve the locals in the project so that they can earn something,” the DFO said.
The department will be distributing solar chullahs, solar cookers and heaters so that the dependency of the villagers on firewood from the forest reduces.
“We are looking forward towards the new initiative taken up by the Forest Department, we do hope that it will bear fruit,” Telmon Das, a local fisherman said. Das is among the hundreds of fishermen whose lives depend heavily on the water bodies in and around the reserve forest.
Dibrugarh it might be added is set amidst numerous tea estates, operations of Oil India Limited (OIL), Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGCL), Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited (BVFCL), Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Assam Gas Company Limited (AGCL), Assam Perto-chemcials Limited, Coal India Limited, Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) and the upcoming Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL) which is coming up at Lepetkata which is only 11 kms from Dibrugarh town.
“We often have to spend our Saturdays and Sundays with friends or television, therefore the coming up of such an amenity would definitely inject some freshness in our hectic lives,” Dipak Kalita, a chemical engineer employed by Oil India Limited said.
Will the new initiative really bring in changes for the thousands of people who stay in and around the reserve forest? Will the claim made by the Forest Department bring in smiles to the faces of the poor villagers who had been traditionally dependant on the forest produce bear fruit? And most of all, will the new project become functional in its true sense? Only time will tell.

Ripunjoy Das