Wildlife conservation in Arunachal Pradesh

Context: Recently the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has dismissed the case it took up suo motu on the grant of forest clearance for the 3000-MW Dibang hydel project without meeting the precondition of declaring a national park.

Wildlife Conservation in the State:

Pakke Tiger Reserve

• PTR lies in the foothills of the eastern Himalaya in the East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh and is also known as Pakhui Tiger Reserve.
• It falls within the Eastern Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspot.
• It is known for its amazing sightings of four resident hornbill species.
• The great hornbill is the state bird of Arunachal Pradesh and it is ‘vulnerable’ under the IUCN Red List.

Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve:

• Namdapha National Park is nestled between the Patkai and Dapha bum ranges of Mishmi Hills in the Eastern Himalayan Sub-region.
• Namdapha is located on the international border between India and Myanmar, along the raging Noa-Dihing River.
• It is the world’s only park with the four feline species of big cats, the Tiger (Panthera Tigris), Leopard (Panthera Pardus), Snow Leopard (Panthera Uncia), and Clouded Leopard (Neofelis Nebulosa), as well as a large number of Lesser cats.

Mouling National Park:

• Mouling National Park is a beautiful place, located in the Upper Siang district (some parts of the West Siang and East Siang districts) of the state of Arunachal Pradesh.
• The name Mouling has been derived from highest peak named Mouling as per local faith and belief.
• There is the river Siyom flowing along the western borders of the park, while a number of smaller rivers are also passing through the park namely the Semong, Krobong, Subong and Siring, all of which flow into the Siang River, which is at the eastern boundary.

Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary:

• Eaglenest or Eagle’s Nest Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area of India in the Himalayan foothills of West Kameng District, Arunachal Pradesh.
• It conjoins Sessa Orchid Sanctuary to the northeast and Pakhui Tiger Reserve across the Kameng river to the east. It is also a part of the Kameng Elephant Reserve.
• The sanctuary derives its name from the Red Eagle Division of the Indian army which was posted in the area in the 1950s.
• Eaglenest is the site where Bugun liocichla (a passerine bird species) was first discovered in 1995 and again observed and described in 2006.

Sessa Orchid Sanctuary:

• The Sessa Orchid Sanctuary is located in the Himalayan foothills in Bhalukpong Forest Division of West Kameng District, Arunachal Pradesh.
• It conjoins Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary to the southwest.
• It is a part of the Kameng Protected Area Complex (KPAC), which is an Elephant Reserve. Sessa is noted for the occurrence of more than 200 orchid species with 5 new and endemic species.
• The sanctuary is unique in having 7 endemic species of saprotrophic orchids.

About National Green Tribunal:

• The National Green Tribunal has been established in 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources.
• It is a specialized body equipped with the necessary expertise to handle environmental disputes involving multi-disciplinary issues.
• The Tribunal shall not be bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, but shall be guided by principles of natural justice.
• The Tribunal’s dedicated jurisdiction in environmental matters shall provide speedy environmental justice and help reduce the burden of litigation in the higher courts.
• The Tribunal is mandated to make and endeavour for disposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of filing of the same.
• New Delhi is the Principal Place of Sitting of the Tribunal and Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata, and Chennai shall be the other four place of sitting of the Tribunal.

Source:  Indian Express                

Previous Year Questions

Q.1) In which one of the following states is Pakhui wildlife sanctuary located? (2018)

1. Arunachal Pradesh
2. Manipur
3. Meghalaya
4. Nagaland