Cultural and Historical background
The early history of Assam is obscure, although there are numerous references in
the Mahabharata, the Puranas,
and the Tantras to a great kingdom known as
Kamrup that encompassed the
Brahmaputra Valley, Bhutan,
Cooch
Behar, and the Rangpur
region in eastern Bengal. The legendary king Narakaxura,
whose son Bhagadatta distinguished himself in the
Mahabharata war, ruled Kamrupa from his capital at
Pragjyotishpura, the site of a famous temple
dedicated to the Tantric goddess
Kamakhya, near modern Guwahati.
Among the early sources of the history of Assam are
the writings of the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang (Hiuen-tsang),
who in 640 AD attended the court of King Bhaskar
Barman, an ally of the great Gupta monarch Harsha of
Northern India. Stone and copper inscriptions dating from the seventh to the
twelefth century indicate a succession of Hindu
dynasties, but it is unclear to what extent the indigenous population of
Kamrupa had embraced Hinduism beyond the royal
patronage of brahmans.
On the eve of the movement of the Ahoms to Assam in
the early thirteenth century, any semblance of a centralized kingship in the
region had collapsed into a fragmented system of tribal polities and loose
confederacies of petty Hindu rajas, called bhuyans.
The Ahom, a Shan tribe from which the name Assam is
probably derived, crossed the
Patkoi
Mountains from Burman in 1228 AD and by the
sixteenth century had absorbed the Chutiya and
Kachari kingdoms of the upper
Brahmaputra,
subdued the neighboring hill tribes, and integrated the
bhuyans into the administrative apparatus of a feudalistic state.
During the latter part of the sixteenth and much of the seventeenth centuries,
the Ahom repulsed a succession of
Mughal invasions of their territory from Bengal as
they moved to annex the eastern portion of the powerful Koch kingdom (1682) and
to consolidate their rule over the entire
Brahmaputra
Valley. The kingdom of the Ahom reached its height
under Rudra Xingha
(reign, 1696-1714), the renowed military strategist
and patron of the buranji, or
Ahom chronicles. Rudra
Xingha established extensive trade with Tibet and built the great city of
Rangpur.
During the latter half of the sixteenth century, the revered
gossain (teacher, saint) and Assamese cultural hero,
Shankara Deva, inspired
a popular Vaishnavite movement that sought to reform
the esoteric practices of Tantric Hinduism and to
limit the prerogatives of the brahmanas attached to
the Ahom court. The Ahom
came to sponsor an extensive network of Vaishnavite
monasteries, whose monks played an important role in the reclamation of
wastelands for wet-rice cultivation throughout the
Brahmaputra
Valley. Because of the repudiation of caste privilege,
Shankara Deva's
Vaishnavism appealed to the broad tribal base on which the
Ahom had erected their state.
From 1769, disaffected population of the kingdom, under the leadership of their
"Mahanta's" (religious leaders), took part in a
series of uprisings against
Ahom rule that devastated upper Assam. The leader of
the first uprising was Ragha
Maran. His two wives Radha and
Rukmini also participated in the battles against the
royal army. Afer their victory,
Ragha's son Ramakata became the king and
Ragha became the Barbarua.
At the request of king Gaurinath
Xingha (reign, 1780-1795), the Governor General of
British India, dispatched a mission to Rangpur, the
Ahom capital, which restored peace to the kingdom.
Civil strife, however, persisted. In 1817, the Burmese took advantage of the
dissensions within the Ahom nobility and overran the
Brahmaputra
Valley. The Burmese, who came at the invitation of the Bar
Phukan (Governor) Badan Chandra who conspired
against the king, killed one in three person in Assam
over a period of five years. Fearing incursions on their own territory, the
British drove the Burmese from the
Brahmaputra
Valley, and under the conditions of the treaty of Yandaboo,
between the Burmese and the British, annexed the Ahom
kingdom in 1826. In 1838, all of northeast India became part of the Bengal
Presidency of British India.
Rapid steps were then undertaken to develop the region for agricultural and
commmercial revenues. The British dismantled the
Ahom ruling structure, made Bengali the official
language, and staffed administrative and professional positions with educated
Bengali Hindus. Coal, limestone, and iron mines were opened and the government
offered incentives to European entrepreuners to
start plantations for the production of rubber, chinchona
(from which quinine is derived), hemp, jute, and most importantly, tea. Because
the native population of Assam was economically well-off and hence, unwilling to
do plantation labor, the British developed and extensive system of contract
labor that recruited impoverished tribals from
southern Bihar, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh (current
states). By the turn of the century, more than one-half million of these
"coolies" were employed on 700 plantations producing 145 million pounds of tea
annually.
In 1874, Assam was separated from Begal, and was
constituted into a separate province by itself, with its capital in
Shillong. In 1905, on the initiative of the British
Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, the province was
amalgamated with east Bengal following the paritition
of Bengal into the west and the east. In 1912, the partition was nullified, and
Assam was made a separate provinve once more.
Early in the twentieth century, the government of
India, made
vast tracts of land available to predominantly Muslim farmers from the provinces
of East Bengal for settlement and cultivation. Nepalis
were employed as diary herders and similarly encouraged to colonize new lands.
The subsequent immigration of Indian traders, merchants and small-scale
industrialists, such as Marwaris and Sikhs,
stimulated capital development in Assam and strengthened its ties to India. As a
result of this enormous influx of migrants, Assam has been the fastest-growing
region of the Indian sub-continent throughout the twentieth century. It has
transformed the ethnic composition of the state and gradually diminished the
political and economic prerogatives of the native Assamese. As a result,
ethnicity and migration have become prominent issues in Assamese politics.
Following Indian independence in 1947, the Assamese won control of their state
assembly and launched a campaign to reassert the preeminence of Assamese culture
in the region and improve employment opportunities for native Assamese. This led
to the alienation of some tribal districts. In addition, many in the tribal
districts were demanding independence from India. Thinking it would satisfy the
tribals, the Indian Government
parititioned former Assamese territories into the tribal states of
Nagaland, Mizoram,
Meghalaya, Manipur and
Arunachal Pradesh over the next twenty years. This was seen by Assamese
leaders as a deliberate division of their constituency.
Following the Pakistan civil was in 1971, nearly two
million Bengali Muslim refugees migrated to Assam. Their illegal settlement and
then their electoral support for Indira Gandhi's
Congress government further aggravated Assamese fears of Bengali cultural
domination and central government ambitions to undermine Assamese regional
autonomy.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, there were persistent disputes between the
government and Assamese students and some Assamese political factions over the
rights of illegal immigrants to citizenship and suffrage. The grass-roots
political movement demanding safeguarding of the interests of the natives was
peaceful and was whole-heartedly supported by almost all native people of the
state. The natives considered it as an war for
survival against the onslaught of uncontrolled migration of millions from
Bangladesh and elsewhere. The state government and the Government of India
responded by the use of force to suppress the movement. Many demonstrators were
killed. This led to some of India's worst communal violence since Partition
toward the end of the movement.
In 1985, a treaty was signed by the Assamese and the Government of India. This
was followed by an election in which a very youthful, student-led government by
the
Asom Gana
Parixad party came to power. There was a lot of
expectation among the people. But, internal bickerings
and charges of corruption, led to the downfall of the Axom
Gana Parixad Ministry in
1990 although they came back to power later.
The 1990s have seen the demand for the independence of Assam from the
centralized Indian goverment by organizations such
as the militarized group called ULFA, The United Liberation Front of
Asom. Many other groups have come up demanding
autonomy or independence. The Indian government has responded with widespread
use of extra-ordinary force and other measures. There have been many armed
encounters between the Army and the groups seeking independence.
Climate
The state of Assam lies in the regime of monsoon
climate of the subtropical belt. It enjoys heavy summer rainfall, winter
drought, high humidity and relatively low temperature during a year. The state
shows marked spatial variation on the climatic pattern primarily because of its
locations and physiography, the seasonal change in the pressure conditions over
the Bay of Bengal and the north-west Indian landmass, the tropical oceanic air
masses of the south-west monsoon, flow of local mountain and valleys winds and
presence of water bodies and rivers. The following table shows the variation in
rainfall in some selected centers of Assam.
Average annual rainfall in some selected places of
Assam
Place Rainfall(in cms)
1. Dhubri 256
2. Barpeta 229
3. Nalbari 242
4. Patacharkuchi 239
5. Rangia 190
6. Goalpara 242
7. Guwahati 166
8. Tezpur 182
9. Mangaldoi 181
10. Nagaon 203
11. North Lakhimpur 335
12. Dibrugarh 273
13. Sibsagar 250
14. Gohpur 237
15. Haflong 227
16. Jorhat 227
17. Lumding 129
18. Sadiya 273
19. Silchar 323
Under varying intensities of
the weather elements and resultants weather conditions Assam normally
experiences four climatic seasons, viz- Pre-Monsoon, Monsoon, Retreating Monsoon
and Dry winter.
Source: Department of Environmental Science,
Gauhati University, Guwahati.
Resource and Biodiversity base
Assam is a part of
global bio-diversity hot spot (Myers, 1988; 1991). It also form part of two
endemic bird areas, viz Eastern Himalayas and Assam plains (Collar et al).
Located in the northeastern part of India it covers an area of 78,500 sq. km and
is divided into 23 districts. Physiographically the major parts are plains with
the Brahmaputra valley accounting for more than 60 % of the total area of the
state. The climate of Assam is of 'monsoon' type with a hot wet summer and a
cool dry winter. Winter rains are also not uncommon. Annual rainfall varies from
less than 1000 mm to more than 6000 mm. The temperature generally ranges from 70C
in winter to 350C in summer.
Habitat Diversity
Assam has widely differing habitats. The tropical wet evergreen forests occur
mainly in the eastern and southern areas covering parts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh,
Sibsagar, Jorhat, N.C.Hills, Cachar and Hailakandi districts. Some important
tree species found in such forests include Hollong (Dipterocarpus macrocarpus),
Gurjan (D. tubinatus), Mekai (Shorea assamica), Kurta (Palaquium polyanthum),
Nahor (Mesua ferrea) and Sia-nahor (Keyea assamica). The tropical semi-evergreen
forests occur along the bhabar tract in the duars in Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon,
Barpeta, Darrang and Sonitpur districts. Large part of the lower Brahmaputra
valley and parts of Karbi Anglong and N.C. Hills are covered by tropical most
deciduous forests. A specialty of this type of forests is the domination of the
Sal trees (Shorea robusta). Along the bank of the large hilly rivers and streams
occur the riverine or riparian fringing forests. A few large trees with a large
number of shrubs, both evergreen and deciduous with grass on the ground
characterize this type of forest. The Sissoo (Dalbergia sissoo) and Khair
(Acacia catechu) are the characteristic trees of such types.In the floodplain
zones of the Brahmaputra and the terai belt along the foot of the Himalayas
occurs wet savannah grasslandas with tall elephant grass, reeds and Alpinia
allughas herbs. The main species of grassof these grasslands are Khagori or Khag
(Phragmites karka), Nal (Arundo donax), Ekra or Ikora (Erianthus ravannae), Ulu
kher (Imoperata cylinderica), Meghela or Bhutang (Saccharum arundinaccuin,
S.procerum), Kohua or Kash (S.spontaneum).
Soil
As regards the soil of Assam, geology (Parent material), topography and
climate seem to play vital roles in their formations. Therefore, under varying
geological conditions, topographical characteristics and agro-climatic
situations different types of soil are found to occur in the hills, piedmonts,
plateaus and plains. The soils of Assam may thus generally be divided into four
groups, viz-alluvial soils, piedmont soils, hill soils and lateritic soils. The
alluvial soils are extensively distributed over the Brahmaputra and Barak plain.
Because of alluvium left by the river after leaving the hills and flowing
through the plains these soils receive high fertility. There are two types of
alluvial soils- the younger alluvium and old alluvium. The younger alluvial
soils occur in an extensive belt of the north-bank and south-bank plains
including the active floodplains of the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers. The old
alluvium soil occurs in some patches of the Kokrajhar, Barpeta, Nalbari, Kamrup,
Darrang, Sonitpur, Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts between the northern piedmont
soil belt and the southern new alluvial soils. The piedmont soils are confined
to the northern narrow zone along the piedmont zone of the Himalayan foothills.
This comprises Bhabar soil and the Tarai soil covering respectively the Bhabar
and the Tarai belt of the Brahamaputra valley. The hill soils are generally
found in the southern hilly terrains of the state. The fertility of these soils
differs greatly in different regions. On the basis of the texture and chemical
composition the hill soils are divided into two classes- the red sandy soil
covering a narrow belt along the Assam-Meghalaya border, the Karbi plateau,
southern part of the Barail ranges of the N.C. hills districts and some part of
the foothills along the eastern border of the Cachar districts and the red loamy
soils, occur in the narrow southern foothills belt running along the Assam's
border with Arunachal and Nagaland and also in the southern fringes of the Karbi
Plateau and the Barail hills of the N.C. hills districts. The lateritic soils in
the state extensively occur over the N.C. hill districts covering some parts of
the southern Karbi Plateau. In general, the soils of Assam are rich in contents
of nitrogen and organic matters. AS in the other parts of India the soils of
Assam suffers from a number of soil degradations problems like heavy erosion in
the hill slopes, flooding and water logging in the low-lying areas and high
acidic nature of the soils.
Mineral Resources of Assam
Assam is endowed with vast mineral resources.
The major minerals like coal, oil and gas, limestone, dolomite, sillimanite and
corundum, iron ore, felspar, glass-sand, refractory and fire clays, kaolin,
beryl, gypsum, pyrite, vermiculite, salt, copper, gold etc. have been reported
to occur in the state. The most important minerals being exploited so far in
Assam are coal, oil and gas, limestone and sillimanite.
In Assam, coal occurs in Garo hills, Khasi and Jaintai hills, Mikir hills,
Jaipur and Makum. The tertiary coals of Assam are remarkably low in ash but high
in sulphur. Assam coal is being consumed at present by the railways, iron and
brass foundries, brick kilns, inland water steamer services, tea gardens and
other industries in addition to household consumption. Apart from its general
uses, Assam coal is eminently suitable for the manufacture of coal distillation
products.
The oil producing areas of Assam lie in the upper Assam valley and are
geologically confined to the Tertiary Strata - mainly Oligocene. Assam is first
state in the country where oil was struck in 1889 at Digboy. At present oil is
being tapped at two areas - the Digboy and the Naharkotiya and Moran fields.
Two more refineries of considerable size have come up in the public sector
at Gauhati and Barauni and the third with a petrochemical complex is under way.
A new refinery, Numaligarh refinery (3m. tones capacity) was commissioned on
July 9, 1999. The availability of associated natural gas is dependent on the
extraction of crude oil. Vast quantities of natural gas are being produced along
with the production of crude oil. Only two projects under the "utilization of
natural gas scheme" have so far come up in the state. These are the thermal
power plant and the fertilizer factory at Namrup.
The high-grade fossil limestone or 'nummulitic' limestone deposits of Assam are
geologically known as 'Syket limestone' as these belong to that groups of rocks.
The limestone deposits are confined in areas of Garo hills, united Khasi and
Jaintia hills, Cachar hills and Mikir hills. One of the largest outcrops of
limestone is at the foot of the Khasi hills. Vast deposits of high-grade
limestone are best observed in the Jowai area. Lime stones of the Khasi and
Jaintia hills can be used for manufacture of cement and for lime-burning
purposes. It can be used in chemical industries and for metallurgical purposes.
The limestone deposits of the state offer vast scope for developing innumerable
industries where limestone is required.
The sillimanite deposits of the Nongstoin state in the Khasi hills are world
famous from the point of view of quantity and purity of the mineral. Assam is
the major producer of this mineral in India and contributes more than 90% of the
total production. Corundum is found to occur in association with the sillimanite
deposits. Low-grade 'quartz-sillimanite schists' also occur in the same area.
Assam is endowed with fairly large reserves of sedimentary white clays as well
as Kaolin or 'China clay', which forms an important basic raw material for
ceramic or refractory industries. These Clays are found to occur at many places
in the Garo hills, Khasi and Jaintia hills and the Mikir hills. This clay is
quite suitable for the manufacture of medium to low-grade white wares and other
ceramic products like stoneware pipes, sanitary ware, glazed tiles and bricks.
The Kaolin deposit near Mawphlang is found to be as good as the Kaolin of corn
wall.
Deposits of fine-grained, white friable sandstones has been located in the
coalfields of the Laitryngew and Cherapunji areas. The friable
quartzite of the Shilllong series around shillong and the Tura sandstones of the
Garo hills are suitable for manufacture of sheet glass and fruit glass after
washing.
Occurrence of banded-iron ore have been located in the Chanderdinga hills and
Abhayapuri areas in Goalpara district and in the Aradanga-Rangchapara areas on
the border of the Kamrup and Khasi and Jaintia hills districts
Copper minerals occur in the Umpyrtha and Ranighat areas in the Khasi and
Jaintia hills and also in the Mahamaya hills in Goalpara district.
Felspar is a common mineral found to occur in association with granites.
Recently workable felspar deposits have been recorded near the Hahim area
in Kamrup district.
Gold is reported to occur in sands, gravels and alluvial terraces along some of
the rivers in the Lakhimpur, Sibsagar and Darrang districts
of Assam.A gold-bearing rock was located at a place about 5 miles southwest of
Mawphlang.
Gypsum in the form of selenite crystals and disseminated in shale beds occur at
Mahendraganj in the Garo hills and at a few places in the Mikir hills.
Water
Resource:
Due to heavy rainfall in the Himalayan and other watersheds of the eastern India
region, Assam is endowed with extensive river system consisting of the
Brahmaputra, the Kusiyara and the Barak and their tributaries. All the rivers in
Assam are liable to floods, mainly because they receive heavy rainfall within a
short time. These rivers are in their early stage of maturity and are very
active agents of erosion. The river waters collect a tremendous amount of silt
and other debris and raise the level of the river beds. Therefore, it becomes
impossible for the main channel to cope with the vast volume of water received
during the rains.
Faunal Diversity
The mammals of Assam have affinity to the Indo-Chinese group. There are 14
species of monkeys, in Assam, which constitute 1/6th of the world. There are
19 cat families in Assam. India has 27 cat families. Quite a good number
of tigers are found in the region. Manas tiger reserve is a famous
Sanctuary. Out of the 1200 species of birds in Indian sub-continent, Assam alone
possesses about 950 species. Besides the common species, a large number
of rare and endangered birds including waterfowls are found, which also include
winter visitors to the state from far away places like Siberia, Manchuria, and
Tibet etc. Crocodiles, snakes, terrapins and monitor lizards with their various
species represent the reptiles of the region. Crocodiles are now found mainly in
the Brahmaputra River, but they have become extremely rare.
The following are some of the important parks and sanctuaries located in
Assam.
1.Kaziranga National Park
This park is located in Golaghat district in between Brahmaputra on the north
and Karbi hills on the south. It covers an area of 830 sq. km. This park is
famous for one-horned rhinos. Table below show the number of important
animals found in the park.
Animal 1966 1972 1978 1984 1991 1993
Rhinoceros 366 658 939 1080 1129 1164
Elephant 349 422 773 523 515 511
Wild buffalo 471 555 610 677 1090 1034
Bison 1 18 23 30 5 -
Swamp Deer 213 516 697 756 635 427
Samber 120 105 215 358 55 34
Hog Deer 1311 4551 6855 987 2911 2048
Wild Bear 155 522 733 1645 555 140
Tiger 20 30 40 52 52 --
2. Manas National Park
Manas national park (Tiger Project) is situated at the foothills of
Bhutan covering parts of the districts of Barpeta and Kokrajhar. It has a total
area of 430 sq. km The important animals found in the park are tiger, golden
langur, capped langur, Assamese macaque, rhesus macaque, panther, golden cat,
clouded leopard, fishing cat, jungle cat, Indian civet, bear cat, Himalayan
black bear, sloth bear, Indian flying short- nosed fruit bat, Indian elephant,
one horned-rhino, samber, spotted dear, Gangetic dolphin.
3. Orang National Park
It is situated in the districts of Darrang and Sonitpur. The total area of
the sanctuary is 72 sq. km The important animals are rhinoceros, hog deer, wild
boar, tiger, elephant, wild buffalo, porcupine, civet cat, hare, monkey, etc
4.Dibru-Chaikhowa
Sanctuary
This sanctuary is located in the Tinsukia district of Assam. It was declared
in 1986. It ahs an area of 640 sq. km Important birds and animals are
white-winged wood duck, elephant, tiger, sambar, buffalo and wild horse.
5.Nameri Wildlife
Sanctuary
It is situated on the north bank of Bharali River along the Arunachal border
of Sonitpur district. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1985. The area of
the sanctuary is 137 sq. km. The important animals of this sanctuary are
elephant, bison, and sambar, barking deer, capped langur and clouded leopard.
6.Garampani wildlife
Sanctuary
It is situated in the Golaghat district. It ahs an area of only 6.0 sq. km.
The important animals are barking deer, sambor, wild bear, hoolock gibbon,
tiger, leopard, elephant and a variety of resident and migratory birds.
7.Deepar Beel Birds
Sanctuary
This wetland sanctuary is located on the south bank of the river Brahmaputra,
a few km west of the Guwahati city. The area of the sanctuary is 4 sq.km. Around
100 varieties of birds are found here.
8.Bornodi wildlife
Sanctuary
It is situated in the Darrang districts covering 26.2 sq.km of area. It was
declared in1980. Some of the important animals found in this sanctuary are Pigmy
hog, elephant, leopard, barking deer, wild bear, capped langur etc
9.Pabitora wildlife
sanctuary
It is situated in Morigaon district with an area of 38 sq. km. It is mainly
famous for rhinoceros (highest density of rhinoceros in the world), wild buffalo
and some colorful native and migratory birds.
10.Laokhowa Wildlife
Sanctuary
This sanctuary is situated in the north-eastern part of Nagaon district. The
total area of this sanctuary is 70 sq. km. It was declared a sanctuary in 1979.
Rhinoceros, wild buffalo and tiger are the main animals of this sanctuary.
Broadly speaking Assam forms part of the Indian Zoogeographic Subregion
within the Oriental Zoogeographic Region. But if we look into microlevel
details, then the areas south of the Brahmaputra River seems to be the part of
Indo Chinese Subregion while Indian Subregion lies towards north of the river.
In fact Assam is located in the transitional zone between the Indian and the
Indochinese Subregion where many Indian species have their easternmost limit
of distribution.
Mammals:
Altogether 230 forms including species and subspecies have been
recorded or are likely to be found in Assam (Choudhary, 1997a). The total number
of species listed so far is 193, which include two recently extinct
and one true semi-wild forms. However, occurrence of 18 species (21,
including subspecies) is not beyond doubt. Presence of such a diverse
mammalian species in a relatively small area is quite significant (c60% of the
total mammalian species found in India). This is one of the highest diversity of
mammals in any of the Indian states. Arunachal Pradesh has, however, more
species in having 200+ (Choudhary, 1999a).
Birds:
About 958 species and subspecies of birds have so far been recorded or
likely to occur in Assam. This includes 808 species, some 280 are winter
migrant form in the northern latitudes. This is the highest diversity of
birds in any of the Indian states. Arunachal Pradesh comes next with more than
750. Of the 20 orders of birds found in Assam, 12 contain threatened
and 11 near threatened species. The following orders have more than five
threatened and near threatened species each: Passeriformes 44,
Falconiformes 15, Anseriformes 9, Ciconiiformes 8 and Chaladriiformes 8. The
orders of birds that have highest percentage of threatened and
near-threatened species are Pelecaniformes (43%), Galliformes (37%),
Ciconiiformes (26%), and Anseriformes (25%).
Reptiles:
At least 187 species have been recorded or likely to be found in
Assam. This includes two species of Crocodiles, 21 turtles and tortoise, 46
lizards and 118 snakes (including three species of monitors). There is a
possibility of a few new forms as reptiles are still relatively poorly covered
by research in Assam. The presence of diverse reptilian species is highest in
any of the Indian states.
Endangered Mammals of
Assam
Chinese Pangolin Manis pentadactyla
Indian Pangolin M. crassicaudata
Slow Loris Nycticebus coucang
Pig-Tailed Macaque Macaca nemestrina
Assamese Macaque M.assamensis
Stump Tailed Macaque M. arctoides
Phayre's Leaf Monkey, Spectacled monkey Presbytis phayrei
Capped Langur P.pileatus
Golden Langur P. geei
Hoolock gibbon, White-Browed Gibbon Hylobates hoolock
Dhole, Indian Wild Dog, Red Dog Cuon alpinus
Himalayan Black Bear, Asiatic Black Bear Ursus thibetanus
Sun Bear, Malayan Bear U.malayanus
Sloth bear U.ursinus
Black Striped Weasel Mustela strigidorsa
Ratel, Honey Badger Mellivora capensis
Hog Badger Arctonyx collaris
Common Otter, Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra
Smooth Indian Otter, Smooth Coated Otter Lutrogale perspicillata
Oriental Small Clawed Otter, Clawless Otter Aonyx cinerea
Spotted Linsang Prionodon paradicolor
Binturong, Bear Cat Arctictis binturong
Leopard Cat Felis bengalensis
Fishing Cat F. viverrinus
Golden Cat F. temminckii
Marbled Cat F. marmorata
Clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa
Leopard, Panther Panthera pardus
Tiger,Indian Tiger,Royal Bengal Tiger, Panthera tigris
Bengal Tiger
Gangetic Dolphin, Susu Platanista gangetica
Indian Elephant Asian Elephant Elephas maximus
Indian Rhinoceros, Greater One horned Rhinoceros Rhinoceros unicornis
Javan Rhinoceros, Lesser One Horned Rhinoceros Rhinoceros sondalicus
Sumatran Rhinoceros, Asian Two horned Rhinoceros Dicerorhinus sumatrensis (Extinct)
Pigmy Hog, Pigmy Hog Sus salvinus
Swamp Deer, Barasingha Cervus duvauceli
Gaur, Indian Bison Bos gaurus
Wild Water Buffalo, Asiatic Wild Buffalo Bubalus arnee
Goral Naemorhedus goral
Serow Capricornis sumatrensis
Irrawady Squirrel, Himalayan Hoary-Bellied Callosciurus pygerytherus
Squirrel
Particoloured Flying Squirrel Hylopetes alboniger
Crestless Himalayan Porcupine, Chinese Porcupine Hystrix brachyura
Hispid Hare Carpolagus hispidus
Source:Choudhary (1997a)
Endangered Birds of Assam
Family PELICANIDAE: Pelicans
1. Spotted-Billed or Grey Pelican Pilicanus phillipensis
2. Dalmatian Pelican P.crispus
Family ANHINGUIDE: Darter
3. Darter or Snake-Bird Anhinga melanogaster
Family ARDEIDAE: Herons, Egrets, Bitterns
4. Great White-Bellied or Imperial Heron Ardea insignis
5. Family CICONIIDAE: Storks
6. Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala
7. Openbill Stork, Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans
8. Oriental White Stork Ciconia boyciana
9. Greater Adjutant Leptoptilos dubius
10.Lesser Adjutant L.javanieus
Family THRESKIORNITHIDAE: Ibises, Spoonbill White or Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis aethiopica
11.Black Ibis Pseudibis papillosa
12.Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
Family ANATIDAE Ducks,Geese
13.Red-Breasted Goose Branta ruficollis
14.Lesser White-Fronted or Dwarf Goose Anser eryhtropus
15.Large Whisatling Teal or Fulvous Tree Duck Dendrocygna bicolor
16.Marbled Teal Marmaronetta augustirostris
17.Baikal Teal Anas formosa
18.Pink-Headed Duck or White-Eyed Pochard Ayhtya nyroca
19.Baer's Pochard Ayhtya basri
20.Mandarin duck Aix galericulata
21.White-winged Wood Duck Cairina scutulata
Family ACCIPITRIDAE: Hawks, Eagles, Vultures etc
22.Blyth's or Jerdon's Baza Aviceda jerdoni
23.Black or Black-Crested Baza Aviceda leuphotes
24.Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentillis
25.Shikra A.badius
26.Crested Goshawk A.trivirgatus
27.Eurasian Sparrow-Hawk Accipiter nisus
28.Besra Sparrow-Hawk A.virgatus
29.Japanese Sparrow-Hawk A.gularis
30.Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca
31.Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga
32.White-Tailed Sea Eagle Hailiaeefus albiolla
33.Pallas's Fish Eagle H.leucoryphus
34.Grey-Headed Fish Eagle Icthyphaga icthyaetus
35.Himalayan Grey-Headed or Lesser Fish Eagle I. nana
36.King, Black or Red-Headed Vulture Sarcogyps calvus
37.Cinereous Vulture A.monachus
38.Long-billed Vulture
39.White-Backed or White-Rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis
40.Lammergeier or Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus
41.Pale or Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus
42.Osprey Pandion Haliaetus
Family FALCONIDAE:Falcons
43.White-Legged or Pied Falconet Microhierax melanoleucos
44.Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus japonensis
45.Saheen Falcon Falco peregrinus peregrinator
46.Redheaded or Red-necked Merlin Falco chicquera
47.Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanii
Family PHASIANIDAE: Pheasants Patridges Quails Etc
48.Swamp Partridge, Swamp Francolin or Kyah Fancolinus gularis
49.White-Cheeked Hill Partridge Arborophila mandelli
50.Bamboo Partridge Bambusicola fytchii
51.Blyth's or Grey Bellied Tragopan Tragopan blythii
60.Mrs Hume's Barred-Back or Bar Tailed Pheasant Syrmaticus humiae
61.Peacock-Pheasant Polyplectron bicalcaratum
62.Indian or Common Peafowl Pavo cristatus
63.Green or Burmese Peafowl Pavo muticus
Family GRUIDAE: Cranes
64.Hooded Crane Grus monacha
Family HELIORNITHIDAE:Finfoots
66.Masked Finfoot Heliopais personata
Family OTIDIDAE: Bustards
67.Bengal Flolrican Huobaropsis bengalensis
Family CAHRADRIIDAE: Plovers
68.Grey-Headed Lapwing Vanellus Cinereus
69.Long-billed Ringed Plover Charadrius placidus
Family SCOLOPACIDAE: Curiews, Sandpipers, Snipe
70.Spotted or Nordmann's Greenshank or Armstrong's Sandpiper Tringa gittifer
71.Snipe-Billed Godwit or Asian Dowitcher Limnodromus semipaimatus
72.Wood Snipe Gallinago nemoricola
73.Spoon-Billed Sandpiper Eurynorhynchus pygmeus
Family LARIDAE:Gulls, Terns
74.Black-Bellied Tern Sterna acuticauda
75.Indian Skimmer or Scissorbill Rynchops albicollis
Family COLUMBIDAE Pigeons,Doves
76.Purple Wood or Pale-Capped Pigeon Columba punicea
Family STRIGIDAE: Owls
Subfamily STRIGIDAE:Owls
77.Forest or Spot-Bellied Eagle-Owl Bubo nipalensis
78.Tawny Fish Owl Ketupa flavipes
Family APODIDAE: Swifts
79.Dark-Backed or Khasi Hills Swift Apus acuticauda
Family ALCEDINIDAE
80.Blyth's or Great Blue Kingfisher Alcedo Hercules
81.Brown-Winged Stork_Bellied Kingfisher Haicyon amauroptera
Family BUCEROTIDAE: Hornbills
82.Brown-Backed or White throared Brown hornbill Anorrhinus tickelli
83.Rufous-Necked Hornbill Aceros nipalensis
84.Wreathed Hornbill Aceros undulates
85.Indian or Oriental Pied Hornbill Anthraceros albirostris
86.Great Pied Hornbill Buceros bicornis
Family INDICATORIDAE: Honeyguides
87.Orange-Rumped Honey Guide Indicator xnathonotus
Family PITTIDAE: Pittas
88.Blue-Naped Pitta Pitta nepalensis
89.Family DICRURIDAE: Drongos
90.Hair-Crested or Spangled Drongo Dicrurus hottentottus
Family STURNIDAE: Starlings, Mynas
91.Spotted-Winged Stare Saroglossa spiloptera
92.Collared Myna Acridotheres albocinctus
Family MUSCICAPIDAE: Babblers,Flycatchers, Thruses, Chats
93.Subfamily TIMALIINAE:Babblers
94.Marsh Spotted Babbler Pellorneum palustre
95.Slender-Billed Scimitar Babbler Xiphirhynchus superciliaris
96.Long-Billed Wren Babbler Rimator malacoptilus
97.Long-Tailed or Tawny-Breasted Wren Babbler Spelaeornis longicaudatus
98.Spotted Wren Babbler Spelaeornis formosus
99.Wedge-Billed Wren Babbler Sphenocichla humei
100.Austen's Spotted or Snowy-Throated Babbler Atachyris oglei
101.Jerdon's or Hume's Babbler Chrysoma Altirostre
102.Black-Browed or Lesser Red-Headed Parrotbill Paradoxornis flavirostris
103.Slender-Billed Babbler Turdoides longirostris
104.Chestnut-Backed Laughing-Thrush Garulax nuchalis
105.Yellow-throated Laughing Thrush Garrulax galbanus
106.Yellow-Breasted or Rufous-Vented Laughing-Thrush Garrulux delesserti
107.Spotted-Breasted Laughing thrush Garrulux merulinus
108.Manipur Streaked or Striped Laughing Thrush Garrulux virgatus
109.Rufous -Bellied or Black-Headed Shrike Babbler Pteruthius rufiventer
110.Dusky-Green or Yellow Throated tit Babbler Alcippe cinerea
111.Red-Throated Tit Babbler Alcippe rufogularis
112.Grey Sibia Heterophasia gracillis
113.Subfamily MUSCICAPINAE: Flycatchers
114.Brown-Breasted Flycatcher Muacicapa muttui
Subfamly SYLVIINAE: Wablers
115.Hodgson's Wren Wabler or Grey Crowned Prinia cinereocapilla
116.Long-talied Grass Wablers or Rufous Vented Prinia Prinia burnessi
117.Bristled Grass Warbler or Bristled Grassbird Chaetornis striatus
118.Black-Browed Leaf or Yellow-Vented Wrabler Phylloscopus cantator
119.Broad-Billed Flycatcher-Warbler Abroscoupus hodgsoni
Subfamily TURDINAE: Thrushes, Chats
120.Rusty-Bellied Shortwing Bachypteryx hyperythra
121.Firethroat Erithacus pectardens
122.Rufous-Bellied Bush Robin Erithacus hyperythrus
123.Purple Cochoa Cochoa purpurea
124.Green cochoa Cochoa virdis
125.Hodgson's Bushcat Saxicola insignis
126.Jerdon's Bushcat Saxicola jerdoni
127.Pied Ground Thrush Zoothera wardii
128.Large Brown or Long-Billed Thrush Zoothera monticola
129.Black-Breasted Thrush Turdus dissimilis
130.Fea's thrush Turdus feae
Family SITTIDAE: Nuthatches, Creepers
131.Beautiful Nuthatch Sitta formosa
132.Family PLOCEIDAE: Weaver Birds
Subfamily PLOCEINAE: Weaver Birds, Bayas
133.Finn's Baya Ploceus megarhynchus
Source: Choudhary (1990, in Press), Collar et al. (1994)
Source: CCF, Wildlife, Assam
Existing and Protected Areas in
Assam
National Parks
1. Dibru-Saikhowa (Dibrugarh & Tinsukia districts) 340.00 sq. km
2. Kaziranga (Golaghat, Nagaon & Sonitpur districts) 849.79 sq. km
3. Manas (Barpeta & Bongaigaon districts) 500.00 sq. km
4. Nameri (Sonitpur district) 200.00 sq. km
5. Orang (Darrang & Sonitpur districts) 78.81 sq. km
Total Area 1968.60 sq. km
Wildlife Sanctuary
1. Bordoibam-Bilmukh (Dhemaji&Lakhimpur district) 11.25 sq km
2. Barnadi (Darrang district) 26.22 sq. km
3. Burhachapori (Sonitpur district) 44.06 sq. km
4. Chakrasila (Dhubri district) 45.57 sq. km
5. Dipor Beel (Kamrup district) 4.14 sq. km
6. Garampani (Karbi Anglong district) 6.05 sq. km
7. Gibbon (Jorhat district) 20.98 sq. km
8. Laokhowa (Nagaon district) 70.11 sq. km
9. Pabitora (Morigaon district) 38.83 sq. km
10. Pani-dihing (Sibsagar district) 33.93 sq. km
11. Sonai-Rupa (Sonitpur district) 220.00 sq. km
Total Area 521.14 sq. km
Rare and Endangered animals and
birds in National Park and Wildlife sanctuary
Name and Category Rare and Endangered animals and birds
1. Kaziranga National Park Rhinoceros, Asiatic water buffalo,swamp deer, elephant, tiger, florican.Hoolock gibbon, capped langur
2. Manas National Park Tiger, goldenlangur, pigmyhog, hispid hare, elephant, gaur florican
3. Barnadi wildlife sanctuary Pigmy hog, hispid harem Gaur, elephant, florican hornbill
4. Laokhowa Wildlife sanctuary Rhinoceros, aquatic and migratory birds
5. Orang Wildlife sanctuary Rhiniceros, spotbiled pelican, greater adjutant stork
6. Pabitora wildlife sanctuary Rhinoceros
7. Garampani wildlife sanctuary Elephant, Gaur, Hollock gibbon and varieties of birds
8. Dibru-Saikhowa Sanctuary Elephant, white winged wood duck, aquatic avifauna
9. Nameri wildlife sanctuary Elephant, gaur, capped langur, golden mahsheer
10. Sonairupa wildlife sanctuary Tiger, elephant, hornbill
11. Pobha Buffalo Sanctuary Asiatic water buffalo
12. Deepar Beel wildlife Sanctuary Aquatic ands migratory birds
13. Kachu gaon Game Reserve Elephant, gaur, golden langur, spotted deer
Total Area Under Protected Area 2489.74 sq. km or 3.2% of total
Source: Forest of Assam, 1992, Deptt. Of Forest, Govt. of Assam
N.B. Nameri and Dibru Saikhowa have been declared as National Park.
Measure Taken: Legal Protection
Both the habitat and species are given different type of protection under
various Acts and Rules, the notable being The Forest Conservation Act, 1990 and
the Wildlife (Protection Act), 1972. Both provide for stringent protection
measures.
Habitat Protection:
Sixteen protected areas in Assam have been notified for biodiversity
conservation. These include national parks and 11 wildlife sanctuaries. The
protected area network covers very insignificant areas of 3.2% of total
geographical area of the state. In some sanctuaries the enforcement is
inadequate and in some there is lack of enough security manpower.
NGO Activities:
Many NGOs such as the Rhino Foundation for Nature in NE India, WWF India,
Assam Science Society, Nature's Beckon, Aranyak, Green Heart, Megamix etc are
supplementing government efforts in saving the biodiversity.
Measure Proposed:
1.Creation of new Protected Areas
2.Extension of existing protected Areas
3.Translocation of Rhinos to Laokhowa, Burhachapori, Manas and other areas.
4.Check on Poaching
5.Control of jhum cultivation
6.Check on encroachment and eviction of encroachers
7.Ban on commercial felling in the remaining natural habitats.
8.Other measures like check on grazing, effective protection and management of existing
protected areas, conservation education, concrete measures to reduce depredation,
expeditious payment of compensation for loss of life and property, large scale installation
of bio-gas, further research and monitoring, and treatment of polluted waterbodies.
