The main objective of the programme is to help the Park authority to win back the support of the locals for the protection of the park. 

The Dolphin Conservation Society (DCS) has been carrying out an innovative programme to help the Park authority (Forest Department) to restore the original status of Manas as a preserve helping in conservation of the remaining tiger population in Asia. The programme, which started during 2000, has been continuing with significant achievement. The main objective of the programme is to help the Park authority to win back the support of the local people for the protection of the park. This is the first programme of its kind, which directly addresses the problems faced by the park since 1989. The State Forest Department, particularly the park authority has extended all the possible help for smooth execution of the programme.

Manas Tiger Reserve is considered as one of the high priority tiger habitats within its range of distribution in Asia. It is considered to be one of the most important sites for the conservation of 22 endangered species, including the Indian tiger, great Indian one horned rhino, Asian elephant, Indian bison, Asiatic wild buffalo, pigmy hog, hispid hare, and golden langur. Latterly, wildlife conservation at Manas has been adversely affected over the past decade due to severe ethno-political unrest in the region. Extensive pressure from collection of fuel wood, fodder, timber felling, grazing, killing of wild animals for consumption of meat, etc. have converted the park inhabitable for the tiger and other endangered species.

Lack of awareness, poor socio-economic status of the fringe people and their long dependence on the park’s resources is one of the major causes of concern. They are motivated and lured by the outsiders to do some unfair jobs for a very small amount of money, without understanding the damage they are doing to their own natural heritage in the long term. There exists widespread ignorance and feeling of alienation and hostility towards Manas among the locals. Such psyche is generally detrimental to conservation interests. Ethno-political problems since 1989 caused breakdown of the infrastructure, looting of arms and ammunition, killing of staff, etc. Till date the Reserve has suffered more loss of man and materials than any other Tiger Reserve in the country. Large scale kidnapping and shooting of forest workers and other people have scared the visitors from coming to the park. This leads to a heavy loss of park tourism revenue since last ten years.

Currently an innovative management plan is required to win back the support and cooperation of fringe villagers. This can only be achieved by initiating environmental orientation and small-scale community support programmes. Once the support of the villagers is achieved, more direct conservation measures in Manas could be taken up subsequently and long-term tiger conservation strategies can be restarted. Considering the present needs, the Dolphin Conservation Society (DCS) has undertaken the said programme. Dolphin Conservation Society is the only regional organization now working exclusively for restoration of the original status of Manas. One of the important components of its present programme in Manas is the assessment of the socio-economic status of the fringe village communities living in the peripheral area of Manas National Park. Under the programme, socio-economic survey in 28 villages under Bansbari range office area has already been taken up. This data will help to assess the socio-economic status of the villagers and their dependency on the park.

Recently ten village youths from Panbari range area were imparted necessary training by DCS to conduct socio-economic survey and to help in other activities of the programme. Besides, under the present programme a variety of small-scale community support programmes are being carried out. Important among them are handloom development programme for the village women, community forest development, sericulture, etc. A mass awareness drive has been carried out in the fringe villages under the village schools.  The entire programmes have been carried out under the leadership of Sujit Bairagi, chairman, and assisted by Chandan Sourav Baruah, field coordinator of DCS. Meanwhile, the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) and other Bodo organizations have also come forward to bring back the lost glory of the Manas National Park. ABSU has started save-Manas campaign. It organised a meeting recently and adopted tresolutions to protect the forest reserve from poachers. As a matter of fact, violent Bodoland movement has caused severe damage to the reserve.

The two resolutions adopted in the ABSU meeting are — taking steps by the ABSU to boost the infrastructure inside the park, and defeating the evil design of poachers so as to protect wildlife; and ABSU coming forward to protect the reserve and punish offenders on its own, besides action by the Forest Department. ABSU meeting has showed that it was not interested in just a damage control exercise, but is keen on a genuine bid to showcase Manas as a potential and peaceful tourist spot before the world. The park is going to open from October and booking of tickets has already begun,” Mr Rabha said, adding that some foreign tourists have also booked tickets for visit to the park in December. He said that the UNESCO had sanctioned assistance to restore a number of forest beat offices which had been totally damaged.

Some of the beat offices which are to be restored with UNESCO funds are located at Bansbari, Uchila and Buraburi. Census of Indian bison, wild buffalo and deer species will be carried out as soon as pos“The forest officials in the park are also a bit upbeat now as they have got project tiger allowance arrears from the Centre after a long gap,” he said, adding that the move was initiated after the visit to the park by the Director of Project Tiger and Inspector General of Forest Rajesh Gopal recently. “Preliminary discussions have been initiated with officials in Bhutan for sight-seeing arrangement in the Himalayan Kingdom. If the talks go well, the virgin Himalayan track up to Molhanguri and beyond in Bhutan territory can be included in the tourism map of the park with a minimum charge of Rs 400 (Rs 300 for pony ride and Rs 100 for guide) per visitor,” he said. Rabha said that central ABSU leaders held discussions with him about the protection and preservation of the reserve which was declared a World Heritage site in 1985. It may be mentioned here that UNESCO had declared Manas as a World Heritage site in danger in 1992.

| Headlines  |   Editorial   | From Other Publications   |
| News Briefs | National |
| NEE Main Page  | Nena  Home Page |