In the first-ever synchronised all-India Elephant Census 2017, the population of India’s national heritage animal, the elephant, is at 27, 312 across 23 states.
This means the population has decreased by about 3,000, compared to last census in 2012. In 2012, the population of Asian elephant, an endangered and protected species in India, was estimated at around 30,000 (29,391-30,711) and in 2007 it was estimated at about 27,670 (27,657-27,682).
As per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the population of Asian elephants was about 41,410 to 52,345 and of that India alone accounts for nearly 60%.
Director of the Project Elephant, R.K Shrivastav, said he is hopeful that the exercise will set new standards in population estimation of elephants in India and in other countries as well. “Quality of data collected during the elephant census will be high. It will be helpful in effective planning of various issues relating to elephant conservation in the country,”.
India started Project Elephant in 1992 to protect the Asian elephant, its habitat and corridors and address the man-elephant conflict. Since then, the government has been counting the elephant population every four to five years.
At present, there are 32 elephant reserves across India, covering over 58,000 sq. km. But loss and degradation of wildlife habitats, including the elephant corridors, are increasing the human-elephant conflict.
Geographical Distribution
The highest population was in southern region (11,960) followed by the northeast region (10,139), east-central region (3,128) and northern region (2,085).
Country’s over 55 percent of elephant population is in Southern region and mainly in two states of Karnataka and Kerala.
Among the states, the highest population was recorded in Karnataka (6,049), followed by Assam (5,719) and Kerala (3,054).
In North-East Region, Assam has the maximum number of elephants, 5,719, followed by 1,754 in Meghalaya and 1,614 in Arunachal Pradesh. The population of elephants in north Bengal has been included in the Northeast population.
Overall elephant density of 0.23 elephants per square km in Assam. In Assam, elephants are found in 36 forest divisions. A total area of 11,601 square km was sampled for block count direct method for the state and the elephant density of 0.38 animals per square kilometre was estimated for this state.
In Meghalaya, much of the elephant habitat area is under community forest. A total of 232 blocks were sampled in the state and the overall density was 0.16 elephants per square kilometre.
Recent Initiatives
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate change (MoEFCC), Dr Harsh Vardhan launched a nationwide campaign, “Gaj Yatra”, on the occasion of World Elephant Day on 12 August, to protect elephants, which will cover 12 elephant range states.
The environment minister also released a document—“Agreed points of action on trans-boundary conservation of elephants by India and Bangladesh”—which highlighted the issues on which the two nations have achieved consensus. The agreed points included constitution of a joint working group within 60 days to evolve and develop protocols and standard operating procedures for trans-boundary conservation and management of elephants.
It also called for facilitating trans-boundary migration along the India-Bangladesh border, establishment of response teams to guide such elephants which may stray into human settlements, ensure sharing of information, discouraging erection of electric fences for protection of agriculture and horticulture crops in the areas falling in identified migratory corridors to prevent death of elephants from electrocution and steps to protect, improve and expand natural habitats for elephants.
As per official numbers, in last four years, one human life was lost every day due to the human-elephant conflict. A total of 1,465 humans have been killed in the last four years (2013-14 to 2016-17).
Governments, both at the centre and in the states, have been making efforts to address the issue, but due to the huge pressure for development, natural habitats have suffered. They have even used methods like beehives and chilli fences to prevent the human-elephant conflict—to limited success.
World Elephant Day
World Elephant Day is a yearly worldwide occasion celebrated over the world on August 12, to focus the attention of various stakeholders in supporting various conservation policies to help protect elephants, including improving enforcement policies to prevent illegal poaching and trade in ivory, conserving elephant habitats, providing better treatment for captive elephants and reintroducing captive elephants into sanctuaries.
The objective of World Elephant Day is to make mindfulness about the predicament of elephants and to share learning and positive answers for the better care and administration of captive and wild elephants.
African elephantsare listed as “vulnerable” and Asian elephants as “endangered” in the IUCN Red List of threatened species.
Key Fact: As per the available population estimates, there are about 400,000 African elephants and 40,000 Asian elephants.
Rhinoceros Conservation in Assam – A success story
From 75 in 1905, Indian rhinos numbered over 2,700 by 2012
From a population of barely 75 in 1905, Indian rhinos numbered over 2,700 by 2012, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF-India), a global wildlife advocacy.
The Indian rhino was moved from its status of endangered (since 1986) to vulnerable in 2008 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This was after a survey in 2007 by the IUCN Asian Rhino Specialist Group, which estimated that there were close to 2,575 one-horned rhinos in the wild, spread across parts of India and Nepal, with India being home to 2,200 rhinos, or over 85 per cent of the population.
Known by the scientific name of Rhinoceros unicornis, these animals are mega-herbivores, part of a small and disappearing group that weigh over 1,000 kilograms and include the elephant and the hippopotamus. These large herbivores are shapers of their landscape and environment, and the rhino may well be a keystone species – known to have a disproportionately large impact on its environment relative to its population – according to research conducted in South Africa’s Kruger National Park in 2014. By eating only certain kinds of grass – and trampling upon dense vegetation – rhinos indirectly affect smaller herbivores in their area, creating a cascade of effects that, in turn, affects other species as well. The Indian rhinoceros is also known to help in seed dispersion, moving large tree seeds from forested areas to grasslands through excreta.
The habitat of the Indian rhino once extended from Pakistan into northern India and modern-day Myanmar, reaching into Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan. However, loss of large tracts of habitat and extensive poaching for its horn – believed to have medicinal and aphrodisiacal properties – led to its extinction in all these countries, except in India and Nepal. By the 1900s, only between 100 and 200 rhinos survived in the wild. From there to its current population of approximately 3,500 the world over is a remarkable turnaround, the International Rhino Foundation says.
In India, rhinos can now be found in parts of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Assam. In 2012, more than 91 per cent of Indian rhinos lived in Assam, according to WWF-India data. Within Assam, rhinos are concentrated within Kaziranga national park, with a few in Pobitara wildlife sanctuary.
Kaziranga NP is home to more than 91 per cent of Assam’s rhinos – and more than 80 per cent of India’s count — with a 2015 population census by Kaziranga park authorities revealing 2,401 rhinos within the park.
Poaching - Illegal Trading of Rhino parts
A rhino horn could fetch as much as $60,000 per pound in the contraband market in 2015, largely in countries such as China and Vietnam, according to a report in The Washington Times.
Although rhino poaching peaked in India in 2013, when 41 of the herbivores were killed, it has declined since, largely because of better policing and protection by the Assam government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), according to Tito Joseph, programme manager of the anti-poaching programme at the Wildlife Protection Society of India, an NGO.
But outside the park, transport of poached horns is not adequately tracked, said Joseph, a key factor being regional insurgency. During the 1980s and 1990s, poachers exploited the destruction of park infrastructure during conflicts and killed almost the entire population of rhinos in many of Assam’s protected areas, such as Manas, Laokhowa and Burachapori.
Rhinos are solitary creatures. Each consumes almost 40 kg of vegetation a day. However, within parks of Assam with a large rhino population, animals have been seen in groups which is an indication of lack of space. These observations are coupled with increasing fights for dominance among rhinos, a competition for available space.
In 2015, Kaziranga N P had 2,401 rhinos. While Pabitoram, in 2012, with an area of 38.8 sq km, had 100 rhinos.
According to some estimates, based on observation, the threshold population of Kaziranga is estimated at 2,500, while Pabitora’s threshold is 100. Exceeding carrying capacity also means that the rhinos are more likely to venture out of protected areas, which increases chances of human-animal conflict.
Indian Rhino Vision 2020 programme (IRV2020) - Create new habitats
So, rhinos need to move to ecologically similar but distant areas to ensure species survival, according to the Indian Rhino Vision 2020 programme (IRV2020), a collaborative effort between various organisations, including the International Rhino Foundation, Assam’s Forest Department, Bodoland Territorial Council, WWF-India, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
The first successful attempt to move rhinos out of Assam and re-introduce them into a similar habitat was made in 1984 in Uttar Pradesh’s Dudhwa national park, which has 33 rhinos now.
IRV2020 hopes to raise the number of rhinos in Assam to 3,000 by 2020 and spread them over seven of the state’s protected areas: Kaziranga, Pobitora, Orang national park, Manas national park, Laokhowa wildlife sanctuary, Burachapori wildlife sanctuary and Dibru Saikhowa wildlife sanctuary.
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite statistic (composite index) of life expectancy, education, and per capita income indicators, which are used to rank countries into four tiers of human development. A country scores higher HDI when the lifespan is higher, the education level is higher, and the GDP per capita is higher. The HDI was developed by Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq for the UNDP.
HDI has three components denoting three basic capabilities related to health, education and living standard. The realised levels of achievement in the three components are measured by a set of indicators. Over the last two decades, these indicators have undergone several changes to reflect the responsive and evolving nature of the approach. For instance, in the education dimension, indicators of literacy rate and combined gross enrollment ratio have been replaced, in 2010, by mean years of schooling and expected years of schooling. These changes became imperative as countries progressed along literacy and enrollment over the last two decades, reducing the distinguishing power of these previous indicators.
Published on 4 November 2010 (and updated on 10 June 2011), the 2010 Human Development Index (HDI) combines three dimensions:
A long and healthy life: Life expectancy at birth
Education index: Mean years of schooling (MYS) and Expected years of schooling (EYS)
A decent standard of living: Per capita Income
In its 2010 Human Development Report, the UNDP began using a new method of calculating the HDI. The following three indices are used:
Life Expectancy Index (LEI) – LEI is 1 when Life expectancy at birth is 85 and 0 when Life expectancy at birth is 20.
Education Index(EI)
Mean Years of Schooling Index (MYSI)-Fifteen is the projected maximum of this indicator for 2025.
Expected Years of Schooling Index (EYSI) – Eighteen is equivalent to achieving a master’s degree in most countries.
Income Index (II) – II is 1 when GNI per capita is $75,000 and 0 when GNI per capita is $100.
Finally, the HDI is the Geometric Mean of the previous three normalized indices.
Human Development Indicators and Indices in Assam
Life Expectancy at Birth
The indicator of life expectancy at birth is used to measure the realised achievement in the health dimension, that is, ‘to be able to live a long life’. The life expectancy at birth denotes the number of years that a child can expect to live at the time of birth, given the age-specific mortality rates in the population. The life expectancy, however, is an indicator of very long-term improvement in health.
In India, data on life expectancy at birth are available through Sample Registration System (SRS) only up to the state level usually disaggregated at the levels of male-female and rural-urban. The latest available SRS data (2006-10) estimate life expectancy at birth in Assam at 62 years (male 61 years and female 63.2 years) putting the state in the bottom echelon.
This low achievement of the state in health functioning is consequent on high infant and child mortality together with high adult mortality in the state since life expectancy at birth depends on an age-specific mortality pattern. Low probability in child survival adversely affects the life expectancy at birth in the state.
Based on HDR survey data, the life expectancy at birth in the state is found to be 54 years. District level estimates of life expectancy at birth reveal that life expectancy varies widely across districts. The highest life expectancy is estimated in Kamrup (71.88) while the lowest is found in Cachar (40.76). Relatively higher life expectancies are found to be in the districts of Barpeta, Chirang, Dima Hasao, Karbi Anglong, Goalpara and Marigaon. Similarly, relatively lower life expectancies are found in districts of Baksa, Karimganj, Hailakandi, tinsukia and Sonitpur
The life expectancy in rural areas is found to be lower (53.39) than in urban areas (57.97). Religion wise, it is found that Christians have higher life expectancy (58.37) compared to Hindus (54.62) and Muslims (52.98). Moreover, the life expectancy among Other Backward Classes (OBCs) is found to be much lower (51.75) than the state average (54.0). Across spatial diversity categories, life expectancy was found to be the highest in the hill blocks (67.42). On the other hand, border, flood-affected and tea garden blocks have been found to be disadvantaged in terms of life expectancies.
Mean Years of Schooling
Mean Years of Schooling (MYS) is one of the two indicators used to measure educational achievement in HDRs by UNDP. It replaced the literacy rate as an indicator under the education dimension in 2010. MYS indicates the average number of completed years of education of a country’s population. Usually, MYS is estimated for populations aged 25 years and older, which is also the indicator used in the calculation of the HDI by UNDP.
MYS is derived from data on educational attainment. For obtaining estimates of MYS, distribution of population by age and educational attainment is required at a given point of time. The officially required number of years for each level of education is then applied as a multiplier to the age-education frequency distribution to get the mean years from the distribution.
Based on the HDR survey data, the MYS for Assam is estimated at 6.1710. Given the normative goal of 15 years which ensures secondary level of schooling11, the present educational achievement in the state is only about 40 per cent of the goal12. Besides, there is a clear rural-urban divide with MYS in rural areas at 5.70 and that in urban areas at 8.59.
The second visible divide is observed in male- female achievement levels: the MYS of males is estimated at 6.93 against the MYS of females at 5.32. Differences in MYS are also prominent along religious and social categories. The MYS amongst Hindus is found to be 6.85 compared to 4.49 amongst Muslims.
Similarly, MYS is found to be lower (5.92) amongst SCs compared to other social categories. In terms of MYS, the most disadvantaged section is found to be rural Muslim women – their MYS is estimated as a mere 3.3. However, the estimated MYS for rural Muslim women varies widely across districts, the lowest being observed in Darrang (1.55 only) and the highest is found in Sibsagar (7.98).
District wise estimates show that MYS ranges from 3.77 to 9.16. The highest MYS of 9.16 is found in Kamrup (M) while the lowest 3.77 is found in Darrang. In terms of MYS in rural areas, Darrang again figures at the bottom with 3.59 followed by Dhubri with 4.09. The highest MYS in rural areas is observed in Sibsagar (8.26) followed by Jorhat (7.20) and Nalbari (7.07). As far as the MYS among females is concerned, the lowest is found again in Darrang (2.87) followed by Baksa (3.51) and Dhubri (3.50). The highest MYS in females is obtained in Kamrup Metro (8.35) followed by Sibsagar (7.79) and Jorhat (7.22). This notwithstanding, the highest gender gaps in MYS are also observed in Sibsagar, Kamrup (M) and Jorhat.
Expected Years of Schooling
The second indicator of educational achievement in HDI is Expected Years of Schooling (EYS) which replaced the gross enrolment ratio in 2010. Nevertheless, EYS is built upon enrolment rates. EYS is a measure of the number of years of schooling a child at the start of his or her education is expected to receive, if current rates of enrolment are maintained throughout the child’s life13. The advantages of using this indicator are that it represents a measure which takes into account both stock and flow dimensions of the school system and it does not require standardisation in comparing countries or societies with distinct age structures. The indicator is intended to represent knowledge accumulation under the formal school system where higher value of EYS is believed to denote higher accumulated knowledge.
For Assam, the estimated EYS is found to be 11.85 years15. This indicates that, on an average, given the present enrolment pattern in the state, a child is expected to complete at least the secondary level when he or she starts going to school. There are, however, many divides. The EYS in rural areas is found to be 11.80 which is less than the EYS of 12.20 estimated in urban areas. The EYS for males is found to be 11.72 against that of females which is 11.99. Similar divides are also noticed across religious and social categories.
District level estimates reveal that EYS in the state varies in the range 10.98 to 12.57. The lowest if found in Hailakandi (10.98) and the highest is found in Chirang (12.57). Similarly, tea garden areas and areas with multiple diversities have relatively low EYS compared to other spatial diversity categories.
Per Capita Income
Income per capita is considered as an ‘indirect’ indicator of human development. The first HDR of UNDP (1990) observes that an indicator of ‘command over resources needed for a decent living’ requires data on access to land, credit, income and other sources. However, there is a dearth of reliable data covering all these aspects. Since data on GDP per capita are widely available, this indicator is taken to represent the income dimension of human development. In 2010, instead of GDP per capita, Gross National Income (GNI) per capita is taken as the indicator. For allowing cross-country comparison, the GNI per capita of the countries was adjusted by Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) ratios.
However, income has the peculiar property of having diminishing contribution to human development as income rises. Therefore, income needs ‘treatment’ to reflect such a feature and, over the last two decades, various treatments have been applied in HDRs16. The 2010 method uses logarithmic transformation over income values to reflect this property. As income rises, a marginal change in logarithmic transformation of income declines giving lower weights to higher income.
In a state HDR, ideal replacement for GNI per capita is taken to be the Net District Domestic Product (NDDP) measured in constant prices. However, since NDDPs are district aggregates, the underlying distribution is not known. To make the indicator consistent with inequality measures, instead of NDDP the average per capita annual income estimates of the districts obtained from the HDR survey are used in the report. This also allows other disaggregation. It has been found that the estimated Per Capita Annual Income (PCAI) from the household level data fairly match the latest (2012-13) data on NDDP (2004-05 prices) for the districts. There are obvious gaps in PCAI in rural and urban sectors. The average PCAI in rural areas is only about 40 per cent of that of the urban areas (INR 22,087 in rural against INR 56,157 in urban areas). It could further be found that the average PCAI of Christians (INR 16,068) is the lowest followed by Muslims (INR 18,228). The average PCAI of Hindus is found as INR 28,092. A similar income gap prevails amongst different social categories as well. The average PCAI of STs is the lowest (INR. 21,445) compared to that of other social categories.
District wise, the highest PCAI was found in Kamrup (Metro) (INR 63,444) followed by Jorhat (INR 38,664). The lowest PCAI was obtained in Hailakandi (INR 16,632) followed by Dhubri (INR 16,336). In general, it is found that low PCAIs in border areas, areas with multiple spatial diversities and amongst religious minorities are major downward factors in the income dimension.
It could also be found that the average PCAI in all spatial diversity categories is lower than the state average. The average PCAI is found to be the lowest in border and hill blocks.
The HDI is a composite index derived on the basis of dimensional achievements in health, education and income. The HDIs are estimated for the districts19 based on the UNDP’s new method (2010). The index presents the status of human development in the districts. The values of HDI represent how much progress the people have made in overall human development given the pattern of dimensional achievements in the district and the normative goal of capability expansion. The values of the index range between 0 and 1 – where 0 implies no progress made and 1 signifies complete achievement with regard to the normative goals set for the purpose of assessment.
The present report estimates the value of HDI for the state as a whole at 0.557. This tells us that given the desired normative goal, the present level of progress in overall human development in the state is just a little beyond the halfway mark. The highest attainment is observed in Kamrup (M) and the lowest in Hailakandi. In 15 of 27 districts, the average level of achievement in human development is found to be more than the state average.
It could also be seen that, in general, educational achievement is the main driver of overall human development in the state and districts. However, in certain districts, namely, Dima Hasao, Kamrup, Barpeta, Chirang, Karbi Anglong, Goalpara and Marigaon, achievements in the health dimension have contributed substantially to overall human development. Contrary to this, barring the district of Kamrup(M), achievements in the income dimension have remained relatively lower limiting the improvement in overall human development. Further, the PCAI and values of HDI across the districts indicate a clear positive correlation. Therefore, improving the HDI requires ensuring income and livelihood of people across the state. Income and employment, thus, emerge as the most significant policy variable for enhancing overall human development in the state. This is, however, not to undermine the significance of the other two dimensions of human development in the state.
Assam’s Human Development - compared to the neighbouring region
The estimated value of HDI indicating the present status of human development in Assam is found to be 0.557. It may be mentioned that according to the global HDR (2014), the value of HDI for India is 0.586. Therefore, the present report puts Assam in the band of medium human development states. It may further be mentioned that the HDIs of neighbouring countries of Bhutan and Bangladesh are also in the same band.
The National HDR, 2011 provides the value of HDI for the state as 0.44421. This marks an improvement of 15 per cent point over the HDI value of 0.386 for the state given in the National HDR 200122. The comparative picture of the human development outcome in 2011 indicates that Assam’s achievement falls within the category of low HDI in the country. Besides, the Assam HDR 2003 estimated the HDI for Assam at 0.40723.
Conclusion
Human development in Assam remains about half way in relation to the desired level. The dimensional achievements differ district wise as well as important diversity wise, that is, spatial, demographic and sector wise. The differential achievements in human development observed in the districts, thus, need to be accounted for these diversities within the districts. Improving income and health emerges as the most critical policy concern. Gainful employment thus assumes the central place in the human development strategy in the state.
Inequalities in opportunity with regard to health, education and income have been pervasive and these result in considerable loss in potential development achievements in the state. The distinct divides in achievements, therefore, are to be bridged to improve overall human development in the state.
Notwithstanding this, the various processes of service delivery and governance have significant impact over levels of achievements and those need to be set right for better development outcomes. All these hint at major policy directions in terms of addressing multi-dimensional deprivation and inequality in the state.
The State of Assam comprised of two valleys namely the Brahmaputra and Barak. The geographical area of Assam is 78,438.00 Sq. Km out of which 56,194.00 Sq. Km and 22,244.00 Sq. Km fall under the Brahmaputra and Barak Valley including 2 (Two) hill districts respectively. The flood prone area of the state is 31,500.00 Sq Km, which is about 39.58 % of the total area of the state and 9.40% of total flood prone area of the whole India.
River System of Assam
A) Brahmaputra river system
The main river of the valley, Brahmaputra is one of the largest rivers in the world and is a trans-boundary river which flows through China, India and Bangladesh. With 3,848 km in length, it is the 15th longest and tenth largest river in the world by discharge.
The river originates from the Kailalsh ranges of Himalayas at an elevation of 5300 M. After flowing through Tibet it enters India through Arunachal Pradesh and flows through Assam and Bangladesh as the Jamuna. It merges with the Padma, the popular name of the river Ganges in Bangladesh, and finally the Meghna and from here it is known as Meghna before emptying into the Bay of Bengal.
The river drains the Himalaya east of the Indo-Nepal border, south-central portion of the Tibetan plateau above the Ganga basin, south-eastern portion of Tibet, the Patkai-Bum hills, the northern slopes of the Meghalaya hills, the Assam plains, and the northern portion of Bangladesh. The basin, especially south of Tibet, is characterized by high levels of rainfall. Kangchenjunga (8,586 m) is the only peak above 8,000 m, hence is the highest point within the Brahmaputra basin.
The river is often called Tsangpo-Brahmaputra river. The lower reaches are sacred to Hindus. While most rivers on the Indian subcontinent have female names, this river has a rare male name, as it means “son of Brahma”.
The Brahmaputra is an important river for irrigation and transportation. It is a classic example of a braided river and is highly susceptible to channel migration and avulsion. It is also one of the few rivers in the world that exhibit a tidal bore. It is navigable for most of its length. The catchments area of Brahmaputra in Tibet is 2,93,000 Sq. Km; in India and Bhutan is 2,40,000 Sq. Km and in Bangladesh is 47,000 Sq. Km. The Brahmaputra basin extends over an area of 5,80,000 Sq. Km up to its confluence within Bangladesh.
The average width of Brahmaputra is 5.46 Km. The average annual discharge is about 20,000 cumec and average dry season discharge is 4,420 cumec. The river slope is very steeptill it enters India. A drop of about 4800 M is achieved in a length at about 1700 Km. This average slope of about 2.82 m/Km in China (Tibet) gets reduced to about 0.1m/Km in Assam valley. Due to this sudden flattening of river slope, the river becomes braided in nature in the Assam valley. During its course in Assam valley from Kobo to Dhubri the river is joined by about 20 (twenty) important tributaries on its North bank and 13 (thirteen) on its South bank. Joining of these tributaries bringing high sediment load activates braiding.
The drainage area lying in India is 1,94,413 sq.km which is nearly 5.9% of the total geographical area of the country. The sub-basin lies in the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, West Bengal and Sikkim.
The most predominant soil type found in the sub-basin is the red loamy soil and alluvial soil. Other important soil types are sandy, loamy, clayey soils, their combinations and laterite soils. The culturable area of the sub-basin is about 12.15 M. ha which is 6.2% of the culturable area of the country.
Heavy precipitation occurs here from May to September. All its tributaries experience number of flood waves as per rainfall in respective catchments. If the flood of the tributaries coincides with the flood of Brahmaputra, it causes severe problem and devastation. The severity of flood problem of the state has been further aggravated by the acuteness of erosion on both banks of river Brahmaputra and its tributaries. Study reveals that an area of 4.27 Lakh Hectare of the state has been eroded by the rivers since 1950, which is 7.40 % of area of the state. The average annual rate of erosion is 8000.00 Ha. The world’s largest river island Majuli is also under the grip of erosion by river Brahmaputra and about 60 % of its original area has already been engulfed by the river.
The tributaries namely Subansiri, Ronganadi, Dikrong, Buroi, Borgong, Jiabharali, Dhansiri (North) Puthimari, Manas, Beki, Aie, Sonkosh are the main tributaries on the North while the Noadehing, Buridehing, Desang, Dikhow, Bhogdoi, Dhansiri (South), Kopilli, Kulsi, Krishnai, Dhdhnoi, Jinjiran are the main tributaries on the south bank of the river Brahmaputra.
The characteristics of the north bank tributaries are different than that of the south bank tributaries, which may be summarized as below –
The North Bank Tributaries:
Have very steep slopes and shallow braided channels for a considerable distance from the foot hills and in some cases right up to the outfall.
Have boulder, pebble and coarse sandy beds and carry a heavy silt charge.
Generally have flashy floods.
The South bank Tributaries:
Have comparatively flatter grades and deep meandering channels almost from the foot hills.
Have comparatively low silt charge.
Right Bank Tributaries of the Brahmaputra River
Rivers
Length (km)
Subansiri
442
Ranganadi
150
Baroi
64
Bargang
42
Jia Bharali
247
Gabharu
61
Dhansiri
123
Noa-Nadi
75
Nanoi
105
Barnadi
112
Puthimari
190
Pagladiya
197
Manas-Aie-Beki
215
Champamati
135
Gaurang
98
Tipkai
108
Godadhar
50
Balsiri
110
Left Bank Tributaries of the Brahmaputra River
Rivers
Length (km)
Buridihing
360
Desang
230
Dikhow
200
Jhanji
108
Bhogdoi
160
Dhansiri
352
Kopili
297
Krishna
81
Kulsi
93
Jinari
60
Barak River system
Barak is the second largest river system in Assam as well as in North East. The river with a total length of 900 km from source to mouth drains an area of 52,000 sq. km. The Barak is also a perennial river of the state.
It originates from Japvo mountain of Manipur hills at an altitude of 3,015 m, near the border of Manipur and Nagaland and forms a part of the northern boundary of the Manipur State with Nagaland where it is known as Kirong. Then it flows south through mountainous terrain up to Tipaimukh near the tri-junction of the three states: Assam, Manipur and Mizoram. Here, the river takes a hairpin bend and debouches into the plains of Cacher district of Assam and forms the border of Assam and Manipur states up to Jirimat. The river then flows through the Barak valley of Assam and then it enters Bangladesh where it forks into the Surma and Kushiyara rivers. From the source to the Indo-Bangladesh border, the Barak River flows for 564 km.
The local rainfall run off of the valley along with that of adjacent hilly areas flows through river Barak and its various tributaries and is drained out to Bangladesh. The Katakhal, Jiri, Chiri, Modhura, Longai, Sonai, Rukni and Singla are the main tributaries of the valley. The tributaries are mainly rain fed and cause flood problems when precipitation occurs.
The Barak sub-basin drains areas in India, Bangladesh and Burma. The drainage area lying in India is 41723 sq.km which is nearly 1.38% of the total geographical area of the country. It is on the north by the Barail range separating it from the Brahmaputra sub-basin, on the east by the Na Lushai hills and on the south and west by Bangladesh. The sub-basin lies in the States of Meghalaya. Manipur, Mizoram, Assam, Tripura and Nagaland.
There are two major physiographic regions in the sub-basin, namely, the hilly region and the plain plains are thickly populated and extensively cultivated. The predominant soil types found in the sub-basin are laterite and red and yellow soils. The culturable area in the sub-basin 0.893 M-ha which is only about 0.5% of the culturable area of the country.
Some important north bank tributaries of Barak River
Jiri
Siri
Madhura
Jatinga
Larang
Some important south bank tributaries of Barak River
Sonai
Ghagra
Katakhal
Dhaleswari
Singla
Longai
Statewise Drainage Area of Barak River
Meghalaya – 10,650 Km2
Manipur 9,550 Km2
Mizoram 8,280 Km2
Assam 7,224 Km2
Tripura 4,725 Km2
Nagaland 728 Km2
Total Drainage Area of Barak Basin- 41,157 Km2
Hydropower Potential – The Hydro power Potential at 60% load factor for Barak River is 3908 MW.
Major Projects – Tipaimukh Dam Project, Tista Champamati and Dhansiri barrages.
The state of Assam along with whole Northeast India region is full of amazing valleys, Astonishing Waterfalls, dense forest and great hills and that’s why it’s also called as “The land of the Red River and Blue Hills”. Assam has numerous mountain ranges and hills which are home to wide range of flora and fauna.
Some of the major mountain ranges and hills located in Assam ( along with other neighboring states)
Purvanchal Range
The Purvanchal Mountains or Eastern Mountains are a sub-mountain range of the Himalayas in northeast India covering the states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram.
The range is an eastern extension of the Himalayan Range System, is north eastern India. It bends sharply to the south beyond the Dihang River gorge, and spreads along the eastern boundary of India with Myanmar.
The Purvanchal range includes the hill ranges of the Patkai Hill, Barail Range, MizoHills and Naga Hills.
The Garo, Khasi and Jaintia hills are part of Shillong Plateau, and not part of the Purvanchal range.
Assam Himalaya
A portion in the lower Himalayan mountains range is known as Assam Himalaya between the border of Bhutan and the Great Bend of the Tsangpo River. Yarlung Tsangpo River originates from Lake Manasarovar in Mount Kailash and known as Dihang river in Arunachal Pradesh. The range provides shelter to number of flora and fauna.
Namcha Barwa is the highest mountain peak of Assam Himalaya range. Namcha Barwa (7,782 m) is the highest peak of its own section as well as Earth’s easternmost peak over 7,600 metres.
Other high peaks include Gyala Peri, sister peak to Namcha Barwa; Kangto, and Nyegyi Kangsang.
Patkai Range
The Patkai mountain range also known as Purvanchal Range, one of the eight mountain range in India and the major of India’s North Eastern states. Patkai Range is consist of three major hills, viz. The Patkai-Bum,the Garo-Khasi-Jaintia and Lushai Hills.
The Patkai hill range are not as rugged as the Himalayas and the peaks are much lower in height. Features of the range include conical peaks, steep slopes and deep valleys. The climate range from temperate to alpine due to differencies in altitude.
Three mountain ranges come under the Patkai. The Patkai-Bum (Burmese Kumon Taungdan), the Garo-Khasi-Jaintia, and the Lushai Hills, highest point Phawngpui Tlang, also known as ‘Blue Mountain‘. The Garo-Khasi range is in the Indian state of Meghalaya. Mawsynram and Cherrapunji, on the windward side of these hills are the world’s wettest places, having the highest annual rainfall.
The Pangsau Pass offers the most important route through the Patkai. The Ledo Road was built through Pangsau Pass as a strategic supply road built over the range during World War II to link India with the Burma Road into China.
Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills
The Khasi and Jaintia Hills are a mountainous region is a part Meghalaya, which includes the present districts of East Jaintia Hills district, West Jaintia Hills district, East Khasi Hills district, and West Khasi Hills district.
The hills of Khasi is the part of major Garo-Khasi range in Meghalaya and also the part of the Patkai mountain ranges. Khasi Hills got its name by Khasi tribes of the region.
Cherrapunji is the wettest place in the world is situated in the East Khasi Hills and Lum Shyllong is the highest peak(1,968 metres high).
The Jaintia Hills are located further to the east from the Khasi Hills.
Garo Hills
The Garo Hills is located in Meghalaya state and part of Garo-Khasi range. It is one of the wettest places in the world. The range is part of the Meghalaya subtropical forests eco-region.
Nokrek Peak is the highest point of the Garo Hills region of the State, Nokrek Peak stands 1412 metres above sea level. The mother germo plasm of Citrus-indica have been discovered by science researchers within Nokrek Range. This discovery led to the establishment of the National CitrusGene Sanctuary-cum-Biosphere Reserve at Nokrek covering an area of forty seven square kilometres.
Tura Peak is a majestic hill stands on the eastern flank of Tura, the largest town in the Garo Hills region of the State. It peaks 872metres above sea level.
Balpakram is a National Wildlife Park, located in SouthGaro Hills and 167 km from Tura. It is home to the rare Lesser Panda, the Indian bison and the Stag like Serow.
Siju Caves is the famous limestone caves of Siju are located near Simsang River in Siju village.
Lushai Hills
The Lushai Hills also known as Mizo Hills is one of the three part of Patkai mountain range, located in Mizoram and Tripura. Mizo Hills is highly covered with dense bamboo jungle and rank undergrowth; but in the eastern portion, owing probably to a smaller rainfall, open grass-covered slopes are found, with groves of oak and pine interspersed with rhododendrons.
Phawngpui, also known as Blue Mountain is the highest mountain peak (elevation of 2157 m), located in Mizoram.
Naga Hills
The Naga Hills are actually part of Indian Territory mountain ranges of Arakan Mountains between the western Burma and the Naga Hills district. The hills, due to their complexity and position, form a barrier between the India and Myanmar (Burma).
The Naga Hills, reaching a height of around 3,825 metres (12,549 ft). The highest point of Naga hills is Mount Saramati (3826 m).
Naga Hills is one of the major tribal region of Nagaland state and inhabited by Naga people.
Jampui Hills
Jampui Hills is a hill range located in the North Tripura district of Tripura. The average altitude of the hill range is approximately 1000 metres above sea level. Its habitants are mainly Mizo or Lushai.
The Jampui Hills stretch from North to South and are bordering the state Mizoram in the east.
Betalongchhip (930 m high), also known as Betlingchhip, Balinchhip and Thaidawr, is the highest point in Tripura.
Jampui Hills is famous for its unique Orange Festival, view of rising and setting sun and excellent panoramic views of the deep valley and villages around.
Chin Hills
The Chin Hills is a range of mountains extends northward from Manipur to Chin State of Myanmar. Chin Hills are the part of Arakan Mountain Range with an highest peak of Nat Ma Taung with 3,053 m(10,500 feet). Chin Hills are very close to Lushai Hills of Patkai Range and offers a wide range of flora and fauna.
In the Second World War the hills formed a point of armed conflict between Japanese forces and a combined British and Indian force.
Mikir Hills are a group of hills located to the south of the Kaziranga National Park, Assam. It is part of the Karbi Anglong Plateau.
Daphla Hills is a tract of hilly country on the border of western Arunachal and Assam occupied by an independent tribe called Daphla. It lies to the north of the Tezpur and North Lakhimpur subdivisions, and is bounded on the west by the Aka Hills and on the east by the Abor Range.
Assam is one of the lands comprising of the seven sisters. Blessed richly with diverse flora and fauna. Geographically made up of The Eastern Hills of The Northern Himalayas and The Brahmaputra Plains, Assam has copious forests. With the tropical monsoon rainfall type of climate Assam is one of the greenest states of the country. Because of its profuse forests Assam witnesses ample of rare species that seek shelter in the greens of the nature. Assam’s rich biodiversity has an enormous wildlife of flora and fauna, that draws a lot of wildlife lovers to this state.
Assam has seven national parks, viz. Kaziranga National Park, Manas National park, Orang National Park, Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, Nameri National Park, Dihing Patkai National Park and Raimona National Park. These protected area of Assam considered as one of the important wildlife areas for the protection of primate diversity and flora and fauna.
Kaziranga National Park
This famous national park of Assam is situated in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam, India. It is located on the banks of the Brahamputra River. Covering an area of approximately 430 sq. kms is recognized as an Important Bird Area of the world.
The Kaziranga Park is one of the oldest National parks in Assam, being declared as National Park in 1974. Kaziranga was originally established as a reserved forest in 1908. Later, it was converted in to a game sanctury till 1938. A forest conservationist, P. D. Stracey renamed this sanctury to Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary in 1950.
Kaziranga was declared as World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its quality natural environment. In 2006 it is also declared as Tiger Reserve.
Kaziranga National Park is home to world’s great one-horned rhinoceroses with total population of 2401. Intersected by four major rivers the forest land shows multiple areas with different characteristics and hence housing some of the rarest species of both flora and fauna. Apart from the rhinos the Asian Elephants also find their shelter in the grasslands of Kaziranga National Park. The other inhabitants of the park are wild boars, barasingha (swamp deer), monitor lizards, Indian bison, Swamp deer, Samber, Hog deer, Sloth Bear, Tiger, Leopard, Leopard cat,Jungle cat, hog badger, Capped langur, Hoolock gibbon, Jackal, Goose, Hornbills, lbis, Cormorants, Egret, Heron Fishing Eagle etc. Kaziranga is also known for its vibrant bird life. Birds including Fishing Eagle, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Himalayan Griffon and White-tailed Eagle are easily spotted in the area.
9 of the 14 primate species found in India occur in the Kaziranga National Park as well as the only ape found in India, the hoolock gibbon.
The landscape of Kaziranga is of sheer forest, tall elephant grass, rugged reeds, marshes & shallow pools. This park is very famous for its wild life inhabitation including many species of rhinoceroses, as well as many animals, including elephant, and numerous bird species. Kaziranga is one of the largest Protected Areas in India and one of the most significant conserved forest areas on the earth.
In addition to numerous species of resident birds it serves as the winter visiting ground to many migratory birds. So, the park has also been identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA). Today, Kaziranga is one of the richest, most picturesque wildlife habitats of southern Asia.
Manas National Park
Manas National Park is a national park, UNESCO Natural World Heritage site, a Project Tiger reserve, an elephant reserve and a biosphere reserve. The park area falls in Assam’s five districts viz. Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, Barpeta, Udalguri and Darrang, on the foothills of the Himalayas and it is contiguous with the Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan.
It is spread over an area of 391 square kilometers in Assam. Occupying a large area the park is home to an ample of flora and fauna. With the typical tropical monsoon rainfall type of climate the national park houses more than twenty five species that are endangered world-wide. Animals like Wild Water Buffaloes, Assam Roofed Turtle, Golden Langoor and Hispid Hare can also be seen along with the rare Pygmy Hog.
The Manas National Park was declared a sanctuary on 1 October 1928 with an area of 360 km2. Manas bioreserve was created in 1973. It was declared a national park in 1980. It was declared a World Heritage site in December 1985 by UNESCO. On 25 February 2008 the area was increased to 950 km2. On 21 June 2011, it was removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger and was commended for its efforts in preservation. in 1973 it got its designation as a Tiger Reserve and it’s the only tiger project of Assam.
The name of the park is derives from the Manas River, which is named after the serpent god Manasa. The Manas River is a major tributary of Brahmaputra River, which passes through the heart of the national park.
Manas known for its Project Tigers, Rhinos & Elephants, and is Assam’s one of the two Tiger projects. The sanctuary is home to a great variety of wildlife, including tiger, Golden Langur, Wild Buffalo, Hispid Hare, Pigmy Hog, Capped Langur, Indian one-horned Rhinoceros, Elephant, Gaur, Hog Deer, etc. The Manas Wildlife National Park is home to more than 450 species of birds also.
374 species of major flora are recorded from the park includes Melastoma malbathricum, Oroxylum indicum, Toona ciliata, Trewia nodiflora, Sterculia villosa, Bischofia javanica, Pouzolzia zeylanica, Syzygium formosum, Terminalia bellarica, Zingibar zecumber, Bauhinia sps., Bombax ceiba, Careya arborea, Chukrasia tabularis etc.
The main types of forests are Sub-Himalayan High Alluvial Semi-Evergreen Forests, East Himalayan Moist Mixed Deciduous Forests, Low Alluvial Savana Woodland ,Assam Valley Semi-Evergreen Alluvial Grasslands .
Dibru Saikhowa National Park
Dibru-Saikhowa National Park is one of the largest park of Assam, is situated in the south bank of the river Brahmaputra in the extreme east of Assam state in India. It is a National Park as well as a Biosphere Reserve having an area of 340 sq. kms in Tinsukia district. This national park is a home to some of the rare creatures.
Dibru Saikhowa National Park area lies in the Indo-Burma Global Biodiversity Hotspot ( one of the 19 biodiversity hotspots in the world). It’s fauna diversity comprises of semi wet evergreen forests, tropical moist deciduous forest, swamp forests, bamboo, cane brakes and grasslands.
The national park consists of a total of 36 species which include Hog Deer, Gangetic Dolphin, Royal Bengal Tiger, Jungle Cat, Asaiatic Water Buffalo, Capped Langur, Small Indian Civet, barking Deer, Slow Loris, Clouded Leopard, Asian Elephant, Chinese Pangolin, Malayan Giant Squirrel, etc. Semi-wild horse. It witnesses over 500 species of birds, both migratory and local. Species like white-winged duck, marsh babbler, white rumped vulture that are close to extinction seek refuge in this park. White winged Wood- Duck and Black-breasted Parrotbill Feral Horses are species of wild life which makes Dibru Saikhowa very famous. The National Park also conserve the White-Winged Wood Duck which are very rare.
This area was called as the Dibru Reserve Forest in the year 1890 and in the year 1920 some additional areas were also added to this Dibru Reserve Forest. The in the year 1929 the Dibru Reserve Forest was named as Saikhowa Reserve Forest. In the year 1995 this Saikhowa Reserve Forest was declared as a Wildlife Sanctuary. It was designated a Biosphere Reserve in July 1997. In the year 1999 this Wildlife Sanctuary was again declared as a National Park.
NOTE – White-Winged Wood Duck is the state bird of Assam state
Nameri National Park
Sharing its boundary with Arunachal Pradesh and therefore merging with the Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary, Nameri National Park is built up on an area of approximately 200 sq km.
The Park situated in the District of Sonitpur of Assam, is also an Elephant reserve. Animals like tiger, Himalayan Black Bear, Wild Boar and Indian Giant Squirrel are its common inhabitants. Birds like Ibis bill, Wreathed horn bill, black stork and Rufous necked hornbill find home here. The National Park also houses the orchids that make it rich in its flora as well.
The park is the second Tiger reserve of Assam. It was established as a sanctuary on 18th September 1985 and was officially declared as a National Park on 15th November, 1998. It is counted amongst the richest and most threatened reservoirs of plant and animal life in the world.
Nameri is a haven for many rare animals. The rich wildlife includes Tiger, Black bear, elephant, Leopard, Clouded Leopard, Indian Bison, Pangolin, Indian wild dog, deer, Civet Cat, Capped Langur, Jackals etc.Various species of birds such as the endangered white winged wood duck, four species of Hornbill, butterflies and reptiles are also found here.
Together the Nameri National Park in Assam and the Pakhui wildlife sanctuary in Arunachal pradhesh cover up a vast area of more or less 1000 square kilometres. This deciduous and moist jungle of bamboo brakes, canes and narrow grass strips along river banks is the ideal habitation for animals like elephants, tigers and a wide range of migratory birds.
Orang National Park
Orange National Park is situated in the Darrang and Sonitpur districts of Assam. Being comparatively small, the park is spread in about 78 sq km. Orang National Park has a strong hold of one-horned rhinos in the region.
The uniqueness of the park lies in the fact that it houses more than 50 species of fishes. This park is oldest game reserve of the State and an important breeding ground for varieties of Fishes. The animals found in this sanctuary are the One-horned Rhinoceros, Leopard, Elephant, Sambar, Barking Deer, Tiger, varieties of water birds, Green Pigeon, Florican, Teal , Goose, Otters, hog deer, Indian civet, Rhesus macaque, Bengal porcupine, Indian pangolin, Indian fox etc. Various species of birds such as the Pelican, Cormorant, Greylag Goose, Large Whistling Tea Great Adjutant Stork, King Vulture etc. have also found this sanctuary to be their ideal habitat.
It is also known as the mini Kaziranga National Park because of similar landscape, streams and grassland. The Park was established as a sanctuary in 1985 and declared a National Park on 13th of April 1999.
6. Dihing Patkai National Park
234 sq. km stretch covering Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts of Upper Assam. considered the “last remaining stretches” of the Assam Valley tropical wet evergreen forests. It is a major elephant habitat and Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary was declared as Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve under Project Elephant.
It has recorded 310 species of butterflies. 47 mammal species including tigers and clouded leopards. 47 reptile species and 310 species of butterflies have been recorded in Dihing Patkai. It also has highest concentration of Rare endangered white winged wood duck.
It was declared a wildlife sanctuary on 13 June 2004. On 9 June 2021 Forest Department of Assam officially notified it as a National Park.
7. Raimona National Park
Located in Kokrajhar district of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) in lower Assam Raimona National Park spread across 422 sq km. Phipsoo wildlife sanctuary in Bhutan to its north, Buxa tiger reserve in West Bengal to its west and Manas national park in Assam to its east. It is home to elephants, tigers, golden langurs, clouded leopard, wild buffalo, spotted deer, over 150 species of butterflies, 170 species of birds including the white bellied heron and nearly 380 species of plants.
On 09th June, 2021; it became as National Park. It is a part of a contiguous forest patch with an area of 422 km2 covering the northern part of the notified Ripu Reserve Forest, which forms the westernmost buffer to Manas Tiger Reserve in the foothills of Eastern Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspot. It is also part of Chirang-Ripu Elephant Reserve.
The 15th India State of Forest Report shows that India’s total forest cover increased by 0.94 per cent, from 7,01,673 square kilometers to 7,08,273 square kilometers since its last assessment in 2015.
The report also points towards an expansion of agro-forestry and private forestry. There is a jump from 42.77m3 in the 2011 assessment to 74.51m3 in timber production in ‘Trees outside Forests’ (TOF) category.
The increase of 8, 021 sq km in the forest cover has been observed as 6,778 sq km and that of tree cover as 1, 243 sq km. The total forest and tree cover is 24.39 per cent of the geographical area of the country. India has been trying to achieve to put 33 per cent of its geographical area under forest but has failed to do so.
Most of the increase in the forest cover was observed in Very Dense Forest (VDF) was a positive sign, as VDF absorbs maximum carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, followed by increase in open forest.
Class
Area
( in sq kms)
% of geographical area ( SFR 2017)
% of geographical area(SFR 2015)
Very dense forest
98,158
2.99
2.26
Moderately dense forest
(all lands with tree cover- including mangrove cover -of canopy density between 40-70%)
3,08,318
9.38
9.59
Open forest
(all lands with tree cover – including mangrove cover- of canopy density between 10% and 40%)
3,01,797
9.18
9.14
Total Forest Cover
7,08,
21.54
21.34
The total forest and tree cover is 24.39 per cent of the geographical area of the country. There are encouraging sign that much of the increase in the forest cover has been observed in Very Dense Forest (VDF), as VDF absorbs maximum carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The increase in forest cover in VDF is followed by increase in open forest. The only category that has registered a decline in the latest assessment is the Moderate Dense Forest.
India ranks among the top ten countries of the world in terms of forest area, despite the fact that none of the other 9 countries has a population density of more than 150 persons per sq km, compared to India, which has a population density of 382 persons per sq km.
India is ranked 10th in the world, with 24.4% of land area under forest and tree cover, even though it accounts for 2.4 % of the world surface area and sustains the needs of 17 % of human and 18 % livestock population. India is placed 8th in the list of Top Ten nations reporting the greatest annual net gain in forest area.
Three states – Andhra Pradesh (2141 sq km), followed by Karnataka (1101 sq km) and Kerala (1043 sq km) have shown the maximum increase in forest cover.
Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover of 77,414 sq km (equal to Assam’s total area) in the country in terms of area, followed by Arunachal Pradesh with 66,964 sq km and Chhattisgarh (55,547 sq km).
In terms of percentage of forest cover with respect to the total geographical area, Lakshadweep with (90.33 per cent) has the highest forest cover, followed by Mizoram (86.27 per cent) and Andaman & Nicobar Island (81.73 per cent)”, the Minister stated.
The present assessment also reveals that 15 states/UT’s have above 33 per cent of the geographical area under forest cover.
Out of these States and Union Territories, seven States/UTs namely Mizoram, Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Manipur have more than 75 per cent forest cover.
8 states – Tripura, Goa, Sikkim, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Chhattisgarh and Assam have forest cover between 33 per cent to 75 per cent.
About 40% per cent of the country’s forest cover is present in 9 large contiguous patches of the size of 10, 000 sq.km, or more.
Top 5 states where maximum forest cover has increased are Andhra Pradesh (2,141 sq kms), Karnataka (1,101 sq kms), Kerala (1,043 sq kms), Odisha (885 sq kms) and Telangana (565 sq kms).
The increasing trend of forest and tree cover is largely due to the various national policies aimed at conservation and sustainable management of our forests like Green India Mission, National Agro-Forestry policy (NAP), REDD plus policy, Joint Forest Management (JFM), National Afforestation Programme and Funds under Compensatory Afforestation (COMPA) to States.
Successful agro-forestry practices, better conservation of forests, improvement of scrub areas to forest areas, increase in mangrove cover, conservation and protection activities have also led to increase in the forest and tree cover.
Green Highways (Plantations & Maintenance) Policy to develop 1,40,000 km long tree line with plantation along with both sides of national highways will go a long way in enhancing the forest & tree cover.
Top 5 states where forest cover has decreased are Mizoram (531 sq km), Nagaland (450 sq km), Arunachal Pradesh (190 sq km), Tripura (164 sq km) and Meghalaya (116 sq km). It is important to mention here that these states are in the North Eastern region of the country where the total forest cover is very high i.e. more than 70% in each state.
The main reasons for the decrease are – shifting cultivation, other biotic pressures, rotational felling, diversion of forest lands for developmental activities, submergence of forest cover, agriculture expansion and natural disasters.
Mangrove cover of the country has shown a positive change
As per ISFR 2017, mangrove forests have increased by 181 sq kms. Maharashtra (82 sq kms), Andhra Pradesh (37 sq kms) and Gujarat (33 sq kms) are the top three gainers in terms of mangrove cover. 7 out of the 12 mangrove states have shown an increase in mangrove cover and none of them show any negative change.
Mangrove eco-systems are rich in biodiversity and provide a number of ecological services. They also play a major role in protecting coastal areas from erosion, tidal storms and tsunamis.
The total mangrove cover stands at 4,921 sq km and has shown an increase of 181 sq km. All the 12 mangrove states have shown a positive change in the mangrove cover, as compared to the last assessment.
Mangrove ecosystem is rich in biodiversity and provides a number of ecological services.
Water bodies inside forests have increased over a decade
Forests play a vital role in water conservation and improve the water regime in the area.
State Forest Departments besides plantation and protection also undertake steps to improve water conservation through different interventions such as building Check dams, vegetation barriers, percolation ponds, contour trenches etc. under various Central & State Government schemes
As per the latest assessment, water bodies inside forest cover have increased by 2,647 sq kms during the last decade.
Maharashtra (432 sq kms), Gujarat (428 sq kms), Madhya Pradesh (389 sq kms) are top three states showing increase in water bodies within forest areas. Overall, almost all the states have shown a positive change in water bodies.
Bamboo
The extent of bamboo-bearing area in the country has been estimated at 15.69 million ha. In comparison to the last assessment done in 2011, there has been an increase of 1.73 million ha in bamboo area. The growing stock of the bamboo in forest has been estimated to be 189 million tonnes. There is an increase of 19 million tonnes in the bamboo-growing stock as compared to the last assessment done in 2011.
The total annual potential production of timer from trees outside forest has been estimated at 74.51 million cum.
The Government has recently enacted a Bill in the Parliament for taking out bamboo from the tree category, where it is grown outside forest areas. This will encourage people to grow bamboo on private lands, which will be helpful in increasing the livelihood opportunities for farmers and also enhance the green cover and carbon stock of the country.
Carbon Stock
The total growing stock of India’s forest and trees outside forests is estimated as 5,822.377 million cum, of which 4,218.380 million cum is inside the forests and 1,603.997 million cum outside. There is an increase of 53.990 million cum of total growing stock, as compared to the previous assessment. Out of this the increase in growing stock, there is an increase of 23.333 million cum inside the forest and 30.657 million cum outside the forest area.
The total carbon stock in the country’s forest is estimated to be 7,082 million tonnes, which shows an increase of 38 million tonnes, as compared to the previous assessment.
Striving towards achieving NDC goal
India is striving towards achieving its NDC goal of creating additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3.0 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.
As per present assessment total carbon stock in forest is estimated to be 7,082 million tonnes. There is an increase of 38 million tonnes in the carbon stock of country as compared to the last assessment.
Factfile - India State of Forest Report (ISFR)
The biannual report is prepared by The Forest Survey of India (FSI), a body under MoEFCC, which conducts surveys and assessment of forest resources in the country.
The information given in the report will serve as an important tool to monitor the country’s forest resources and plan suitable scientific and policy interventions for its management. It will also serve as a useful source of information for the policy makers, planners, State Forest Departments, line agencies involved in various developmental works, academicians, civil society and others interested in natural resource conservation and management.
The India State of Forest Report 2017 is 15th such report in the series. In line with the Government of India’s vision of Digital India and the consequent need for integration of digital data sets, the Forest Survey of India has adopted the vector boundary layers of various administrative units upto districts developed by Survey of India along with digital open series topo sheets, bringing about full compatibility with the geographical areas as reported in Census, 2011.
Forests play a vital role in water conservation and improve the water regime in the area. Considering the importance of water bodies in forest, FSI has assessed water bodies in forest cover for the decade 2005-2015. As per the assessment, there is an increase of 2,647 sq km in the extent of water bodies inside forest cover between 2005 to 2015.
The report contains information on forest cover, tree cover, mangrove cover, growing stock inside and outside the forest areas, carbon stock in India’s forests and forest cover in different patch size classes. Special thematic information on forest cover such as hill, tribal districts, and north eastern region has also been given separately in the report. The report for the first time contains information on decadal change in water bodies in forest during 2005-2015, forest fire, production of timber from outside forest, state wise carbon stock in different forest types and density classes.
The spatial information given in the report is based on interpretation of LISS-III data from Indian Remote Sensing satellite data (Resourcesat-II) with a spatial resolution of 23.5 meters. Satellite data for the entire country was procured from NRSC for the period October, 2015 – February, 2016. The satellite data interpretation is followed by rigorous ground truthing. In addition extensive ground data collected by field parties at more than 18000 points all over the country and information from other collateral sources are also used to improve the accuracy of the interpreted image.
Forest Survey of India (FSI) has been assessing the forest and tree resources of our country on a biennial basis since 1987. The results of the assessment are published in its biennial report titled “India State of Forest Report (ISFR)”.
