Dibru-Saikhowa’s ecology under threat; experts, activists slam Assam govt

Doomdooma, Sept 30: Even as World Tourism Day was celebrated across the globe, the event in Tinsukia turned into a sharp critique of government policies, with leading intellectuals and environmentalists accusing the State government of being the root cause of ecological destruction in Assam.

The programme, organised by the Lihiri Eco Club under the supervision of the district administration at the Bishnu-Jyoti Sangeet Mahavidyalaya in Tinsukia, featured a symposium on Causes of Destruction, Conservation and Tourism in Dibru-Saikhowa National Park. The event began with tributes to cultural icon Zubeen Garg, whose portrait was garlanded amid a candlelight homage.

Presiding over the symposium, eminent economist and academician Dr Jyotiprasad Chaliha minced no words: It is the government itself that has become the primary agent of Nature s destruction. His remark drew strong applause from the gathering of writers, journalists, students, and activists.

Senior journalist Dr Rishi Das noted the stark contrast between the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park of the past and today, lamenting that a common property is being pushed to ruin. He slammed the inequitable tourism model at Barekuri, where only a few households benefit from the endangered hollock gibbons while the larger community remains excluded despite being equal stakeholders.

Orchid expert Khyanjit Gogoi warned that the Park s famed orchid species are on the brink of extinction, with only 49 species left. He emphasised that unchecked human interference, rising population pressure, and lack of effective government intervention are driving Dibru-Saikhowa towards collapse. The tourism potential is being wasted because the government has failed to adopt a comprehensive conservation strategy, he said.

Environmental activist Shailendra Mohan Das highlighted the role of butterflies and bees in sustaining ecosystems and tourism.

Pioneer conservationist Joynal Abedin (Benu) was felicitated for his decades-long work linking Dibru-Saikhowas ecology with community-based tourism. In his address, Abedin underscored the urgent need for grassroots involvement and recalled the Park s cultural bond with Zubeen Garg.

The symposium attracted participation from prominent writers, journalists, social workers, student organisations, and representatives of various community groups, all of whom called for stronger accountability from both the State and Central governments in preserving Assam s natural wealth.

Concluding the programme, Papul Gogoi, president of the Lihiri Eco Club, remarked that the voices raised at the event should serve as a wake-up call for the authorities.