Alipurduar, March 11 -- Despite the absence of rainfall for nearly five months, the Forest department has been successfully managing wildlife in the forests of Alipurduar district. Incidents of wild animals entering nearby human settlements in search of food and water have been almost nonexistent this year. However, officials remain concerned and are anxiously waiting for rainfall, fearing that a prolonged dry spell could create problems in the coming weeks.
Alipurduar district is home to two major national parks-Buxa Tiger Reserve and Jaldapara National Park. These forests support a rich diversity of wildlife, including several hundred elephants. Jaldapara alone is home to more than 330 one-horned rhinos.
Apart from rhinos and elephants, the forests also have a significant population of leopards, bison and deer. The primary sources of food and water for these animals are the numerous hill streams and channels that flow through the forests.
However, the region has not received any rainfall for the past five months. According to official records, the last rainfall was recorded in the first week of October last year. In previous years, such prolonged dry spells often forced wild animals-especially elephants and bison-to enter nearby villages from as early as February in search of food and water, frequently leading to human-animal conflicts.
This year, however, such incidents have been rare. Experts believe the Forest department's continuous efforts have played a key role in maintaining the balance. According to forest officials, effective prey-base and habitat management has helped develop grasslands within the forest, ensuring adequate food for herbivores.
Regular patrolling, along with the use of modern technology such as CCTV cameras and drone surveillance, has further strengthened monitoring and management efforts.
Parveen Kaswan, Divisional Forest Officer of the Jaldapara Wildlife Division, said: "Habitat management work in Jaldapara is continuing regularly.
So far, there has been no shortage of water, and food availability in the forest is also adequate." Harikrishnan P. J., Deputy Field Director of Buxa Tiger Reserve (West), said natural water reservoirs inside the forest have been cleaned and arrangements made in several places to retain water. He added that the department is also maintaining strict vigilance to prevent forest fires.
Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department has forecast a possible change in the weather.
Gopinath Raha of the IMD, Gangtok, said clouds have started gathering over the Darjeeling hills and northern districts and light rain or thundershowers are likely in the hills and parts of North Bengal from the night of March 11.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.