2nd Falcon Festival to be held at Umrangso

From a Correspondent

Haflong, October 20: Preparations are afoot to celebrate the 2nd edition of Falcon Festival to be held at Umrangso, Dima Hasao from October 27, informed Kulendra Daulagupu, in-charge Tourism of NC Hills Autonomous Council.

Falcon Festival has been organized since last year to create awareness as well as to protect the migratory Amur Falcons that make a brief stop-over at Umrangso for about a month-and-half in October-November during their long flight from Siberia to South Africa, apart from promoting tourism in Dima Hasao district.

Daulagupu also disclosed that State Forest Minister Pramila Rani Brahma will be the chief guest of the festival.

Amur falcon is a small raptor of the falcon family. It breeds in south eastern and northern Chi before migrating in large flocks across India and over the Arabian Sea to winter in South Africa. Earlier, these birds were killed for consumption but following the initiative taken by the Forest Department of Dima Hasao and several NGOs, including Blue Hills Society, the killing of these birds has come down and people have become more interested in watching the arrival of the birds. Umrangso is an industrial town in Dima Hasao district.