Dibru Saikhowa National Park, Why Is It Famous And Important Segments For UPSC

Dibru-Saikhowa National Park is a reserve under the central government that is located in the districts of Tinsukia and Dibrugarh. It was proclaimed as a Biosphere Reserve initially around July 1997, with a total size of 765 km2 that includes a 340 km2 core area and a 425 km2 buffer zone. It lies about 12 kilometres north of the main Tinsukia town, with an average altitude of 118 metres, falling in a range of 110 metres to 126 metres. The national park is bounded to the north by the Lohit rivers and the great Brahmaputra, while on the south is the Dibru River. Damp combined semi-evergreen forests, canebrakes, moist deciduous forests, and grasslands make up the majority of the area. It is also the biggest salix swamp located in northeastern parts of the country, with a monsoon climate characterised by hot, rainy summers and mild, generally dry winters. The annual rainfall varies between 2,300 and 3,800 mm. Dibru-Saikhowa is a sanctuary that has a large concentration of several endangered species along with being an abode for a wide variety of fish. A permit granted to Oil India Ltd. for exploration of hydrocarbon at seven places within the preserved area was delayed by the Guwahati High Court in December 2020.

Dibru Saikhowa National Park Famous For

The Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, which was established specifically to protect the critically endangered species of White-Winged Wood Duck, is now home to a diverse range of endangered animals, birds, and reptiles. There are now 36 mammalian species, 502 bird species, 104 fish species, 43 reptile species, 105 butterfly species, and 680 plant species documented here. Furthermore, the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park is home to 25% of India's endangered bird species. Nearly 50 wild horses live in this park, which may be seen in Churkey Chapori region located towards the northern section of the reserve. These horses, found here are said to be descendants of those that fled from army camps at the time of World War II. The water of the sanctuary is also frequented by river dolphins.

Dibru Saikhowa National Park UPSC

It is also a very important topic to be covered by all the UPSC aspirants throughout India. The following is the context along with the information that is required to crack the exam.

Context: Water sources that run into the famous Maguri Motapung Beel, which is a major wetland, along with the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park of Assam have been polluted by the Oil India Limited (OIL) leaks.

About The National Park:

1. Dibru-Saikhowa National Park is located in the state of Assam, sharing its land area amongst two districts, namely Tinsukia and Dibrugarh.
2. It was initially designated as a Biosphere Reserve in the year 1997, during the month of July.
3. The national park is bounded to the north by the Lohit rivers and the great Brahmaputra, while on the south is the Dibru River.
4. The main types of forests found here are moist mixed deciduous forests, canebrakes, grasslands, and moist mixed semi-evergreen forests.
5. It is also the biggest Salix swamp in the entire north-eastern region of India.
6. It has a climate similar to tropical monsoon which makes the summers wt and hot while the winters remain dry and cold.

About the Beel:

1. Lakes are locally called Beels in certain areas of Assam.
2. It is a big wetland that is located near the Guijan Ghat, which is the gateway to the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park.
3. From here one can get a good view of many Migratory birds that stop by.
4. It is also declared as an Important Birding Site (IBA) by BirdLife International.
5. Birds that can be largely seen in these beels are Ruddy Shelduck, Pigeon-tailed jacana, Yellow Wagtails, Asian Open Bills, Purple Swamphens, Eurasian Coot, Northern Pintails, Stonechats, and Northern Lapwing.