Kaziranga
Kaziranga is one of the largest Protected Areas in India and one
of the most significant conserved forest areas on the earth. From
the time it was declared as a Proposed Reserve Forest for the Great
Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis), it has become
an exceptional model in conservation, also providing an ideal habitat
for numerous other threatened species. Kaziranga is an outstanding
example of the ongoing eco-biological processes in the evolution
and development of the flood plain ecosystem and its plant and animal
communities. It is a symbol for the dedicated commitment of the
people who work ceaselessly to protect and preserve this richly
diverse biological heritage. Kaziranga has justly earned its place
as the flag bearer among all the wildlife conservation efforts across
the globe. Into its hundredth year of existence, the tradition continues.
There are several
natural scenic areas adjacent to Kaziranga National Park. The Reserved
Forests like Panbari, Bagser, Deusur, Kukurakata Hill, Bhomoraguri
and hill districts like Karbi Anglong are known for the picturesque
forest wealth, abundant wildlife and splendor of the enchanting
beauty of the hills. Not to mention the historical and cultural
significance of these areas. There is therefore a lot of potential
for developing these areas around Kaziranga as tourist destination.
The Government of Assam, has adapted a new Forest Policy which
recognizes nature as one of the thrust areas for income and employment
generation. The Department of Environment & Forests, Government
of Assam is initiating the groundwork for development of nature-tourism
centered on the conservation heritage at Kaziranga. The emphasis
is on developing infrastructure and streamlining institutional arrangements
to give a boost to tourism. With this view it is encouraging participation
of the corporate houses to invest in this sector.
While the Govt. is trying to attract investment, it also understands
the fact that without local participation and creating stockholders
that include the fringe villagers, development in nature-tourism
cannot be made. And perhaps including local participation in such
projects could also be one of the means to resolve the human-wildlife
conflict.
The Kaziranga National Park
The Kaziranga National Park supports a rich and varied bird life.
In addition to numerous species of resident birds it serves as the
winter visiting ground to many migratory birds. Altogether 478 species
of birds, (Barua and Sharma, 1999) both migratory and resident,
have been identified. The list included 25 globally threatened and
21 near threatened species. The park has also been identified as
an Important Bird Area (IBA) by Birdlife International for the conservation
of the avifaunal species.
Weather
Overall the climate is tropical but summer temperatures can go as
high as 37º Celsius while winter temperatures drop to 5°Celsius.
Rainfall: The mean annual rainfall
is about 2220 mm with the maximum rain occurring during the months
of June to September
Getting There
By Air: Guwahati (239 km), Jorhat
(96 km)
By Rail: Guwahati, Furkating (75
km)
By Road: National Highway 37
Top
General Information & Accomdation info on Kaziranga city of Assam - India
|