The Hindu Business Line : Draft plan for conservation, management of biosphere reserve in Sikkim

The components of the draft plan also include infrastructure development, creating camp sites, boundary demarcation and awareness programmes besides monitoring and evaluation.

Sarikah Atreya

Gangtok, June 10

An amount of Rs 227.46 lakh have been proposed in the 2009-10 draft management action plan for conservation and management of Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve (KBR), one of the largest protected biosphere reserve in the nation.

The KBR is also one of the highest eco system in the world.

The KBR spread over an area of 2,619.92 sq km encompasses large tracts of forests, lakes, rivers and mountains in south, west and north districts.

The KBR, which includes Khangchendzonga National Park (KNP) and several buffer zones accounts for 36.92 per cent of the total area of Sikkim, which is 7,096 sq km.

A hotspot for biodiversity, the KBR is under the State forest department which has proposed Rs. 227.46 lakhs in its draft management plan for the financial year of 2009-10.

Mr J.B. Subba, Joint Director in the forest department who looks after the affairs of KBR, today made a presentation of the proposed draft management plan for KBR in presence of the State Forest Minister, Mr Bhim Dhungel. Out of the Rs. 227.46 lakh proposed in the plan, Rs 15.35 lakh is the second instalment to be received from the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

The total amount is proposed to be used eco-developmental activities and social welfare measures in the buffer villages in the KBR.

There are around 44 villages living in the fringes of the buffer areas such as Chungthang and Dzongu in north Sikkim and Yuksom in west Sikkim.

Infrastructure development

The components of the draft management action plan also include infrastructure development, creating camp sites, boundary demarcation and awareness programmes besides monitoring and evaluation, said Mr Subba in his presentation.

A sum of Rs. 8.11 lakhs has been already collected by the department in form of entry fees for tourists into KBR in the last financial year.

In his presentation, Mr Subba highlighted increasing mountaineering, expedition, bio-piracy, garbage dumping, feral dogs and lack of motorable road heads as the key challenges for KBR management. “We also plan to do habitat improvement through afforestation, apply modern technology and research studies on Himalayan natural resources,” he said.

Eco-tourism also forms an integral component in the draft plan for KBR.

Mountain ecosystem

Spread over three districts of the State, KBR has a unique mountain ecosystem due to variations in elevation, climate, landscape, habitat and vegetation types and it is one of the highest eco-systems in the world. The KBR is a rich repository of flora and fauna and is the roaming ground for snow leopard, blue sheep, Himalayan Thar, musk deer and other exotic wild animals. It has seven major forest areas spread from 1,200 m to above 4,000 m.

Mr Subba said that the KBR also has 23 mountains and peaks, 18 prominent glaciers, 37 rivers and rivulets and 18 sacred lakes besides six caves, seven sacred rocks, nine hot springs and five holy monasteries.

“80 per cent of core zone of the biosphere reserve is vast water tank, which supports thousands and thousands of life system down below and towards plain areas”, said Mr Subba.

Earlier, Mr Bhim Dhungel released a short documentary film prepared by the department on KBR. The film, which runs over 30 minutes, presents the richness and importance of KBR for Sikkim. The film has also captured the rare animals living in the KBR.

The presentation was attended by the State Forest Secretary, Mr S.T. Lachungpa, senior forest officials, members of EDCs and JFMCs and representatives from other institutes.

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