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The white-winged duck, an endangered duck species and Assam’s state chicken.
Guwahati: Possible fluctuations within the circulate of riverwater because of the development of huge dams in Arunachal Pradesh for hydro energy tasks have been recognized as one of many threats to white-winged duck, an endangered duck species and Assam’s state chicken.
A doc ready for the conservation of the chicken species mentioned fluctuations in circulate of rivers such because the Lohit, Dibang, Siang, Subansiri and Kameng in Arunachal Pradesh would severely influence breeding websites of the duck in Dibru Saikhowa National Park and Nameri National Park in neighbouring Assam, two main habitats of the duck species. Locally referred to as Deo Hanh, the white-winged duck was declared because the state chicken of Assam in 2003.
“Construction of a sequence of huge hydropower tasks are occurring or deliberate within the upstream of main rivers in Arunachal Pradesh. This will immediately have an effect on rivers and water channels downstream, ultimately adversely affecting lowland forest and wetlands habitats of white-winged duck within the Brahmaputra valley,” learn the doc, which was launched by Assam Forest and Environment Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary on Friday (November 3). The doc was ready by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) with the assistance of the Assam Forest Department.
The development of those dams will not directly influence the duck’s habitat by rising human exercise and strain on forested areas, ensuing from the lack of agricultural and liveable lands for these dwelling downstream of the rivers, the doc additional mentioned.
The White-winged Duck is an endangered species present in Southeast Asia. The species has a worldwide inhabitants of about 1000, of which a big quantity (about 200-300) reside in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. However, the doc reveals that the white-winged duck’s inhabitants has considerably declined over the years because of the widespread lack of forest habitats and intense searching strain, pushing this duck species nearer to the brink of extinction.
Although Nameri and Dihing Patkai are its major habitats, small populations are additionally present in Namdapha National Park and Pakke Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh and in Manas National Park, Hollongpahar Wildlife Sanctuary, Dibru Saikhowa National Park, Doomdooma Dangori Reserve Forest and Upper Dihimg Reserve Forest in Assam. The white-winged duck is primarily a forest-dwelling species inhabiting small forested wetlands, swimming pools, swamps and slow-moving streams and channels.
The doc additionally highlighted that the drainage of wetlands inside forests and their fringe areas for functions equivalent to fishing and irrigation poses one other important risk to the duck’s habitats. “Major wetlands in Doomdooma-Dangori Reserve Forests, which was as soon as a significant stronghold of the species, at the moment are drained dry and transformed into seasonal agricultural fields. Similarly, Dibru-Saikhowa National Park has misplaced most of its wetlands to siltation and invasion by unique species,” it learn. Loss of forest cowl within the Northeast (27,000 sq. km between 1930 and 2013), searching, use of pesticides in agriculture fields and tea plantations, oil spills and open forged coal-mining in jap Assam are another threats to the duck’s survival, per the doc.
Action plan:
WTI and the state forest division launched the motion plan (2023-2030) for conservation of the chicken species because the state lacked a scientific undertaking for a similar. A fund of Rs 12 crores can be required for long run conservation, WTI mentioned on Monday.
