Aaranyak, a scientific research organization working for nature conservation in the Northeast, has expressed serious concern on some of the resort development activities at the Nimati-Kokilamukh area in upper Assam’s Jorhat district.
Aaranyak in a statement said that the resort development activities at the area are deemed unconducive for the presence of several globally threatened bird species and their habitat.
The area where these resorts are being developed falls within the wetland and grassland habitat of some of the globally threatened bird species, such as the Swamp Francolin, Common Pochard, Marsh Babbler, Yellow-breasted Bunting, it said.
It provides breeding and wintering ground to more than 200 species of birds.
The Nimati-Kokilamukh area falls within Janjimukh-Kokilamukh Important Bird Area (IBA), recognized by Birdlife International and Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) as part of a worldwide assessment and home to as many as 26 globally threatened species of birds.
The organisation said, “It is a major concern that these resorts are permitted to be developed at such crucial bird habitat and also being allowed to operate day and night, with loud music and assemblage of the crowd at an unsustainable scale.”
Udayan Borthakur, a wildlife biologist and executive committee member of Aaranyak, who is a resident of Jorhat district, appealed to the Deputy Commissioner, Jorhat District, through a letter for an immediate review of the situation.
He called upon the DC to take steps to stop such activities from further damaging the habitat and causing serious disturbance to the presence of rare and threatened species of birds.