Guwahati: The Assam government on Thursday declared 200.32 sq km area as the second addition of Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve (ONPTR) under section 35 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
With this, the total area of the National Park is now 279.13 square kilometres. A gazette notification was published by Additional Chief Secretary (Environment and Forest) Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday.
“This will bring new hope for conservation and expansion of the park,” said Pradipta Baruah, divisional forest officer (DFO) of Mangaldoi Wildlife Division.
The state government has created the second addition by expanding its existing area of 78.82 square kilometres to 200.32 square kilometres.
According to the gazette notification, after the second addition to the ONPTR, its eastern boundary will be near Singori of Dhekiajuli in Sonitpur district, touching the western boundary of the first addition of Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary. Similarly, the western boundary will be extended up to Shyampur area in Darrang district.
With the extension, the Orang National Park will now be connected to the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) using the Brahmaputra islands as connectivity corridors and habitats across a 180-km-long Brahmaputra riverine area from the west of ONPTR to the east of KNP, Baruah said.
According to the official, the addition will help in managing the river islands scientifically to act as corridors, as well as habitats for transient and resident animals, including tigers and their prey animals, rhinos and elephants.
“It will also be a support to 16 species of turtles and potential reintroduction of gharials back in the Brahmaputra, which became locally extinct,” he added.
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