by Bhupen Goswami 

Guwahati : The Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today laid the foundation stone of Institute of Wildlife Health & Research (IWH&R) at Dinjan, Dibrugarh. Chief Minister said that Assam stands out globally due to its rich natural heritage especially by the variety of flora and fauna and the setting up of such a prestigious institute would help in preservation of rich biodiversity of the state while facilitating scientists and researchers from different parts of the country and the world to carry out research and study in the sector here.

The IWH&R is being established on a plot of land measuring 120 bigha covering wildlife issues like Wildlife Health & Diagnostics, Wildlife Forensics, Wildlife Clinical Research, Wildlife Crisis Management & Translocation, Wildlife Informatics and Wildlife Public Policy and Cooperation. The IWH&R, Dinjan is scheduled to be completed within 2 years at a total approximate cost of Rs 250 crore. Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone of Sahitya Manishi Upabon (Biodiversity Park) in Dibrugarh and Charaideo Districts virtually. For conservation and propagation of rare and endangered indigenous species, Assam Government has planned to develop 24 numbers of Biodiversity Parks in the name of "Sahitya Manishi Upabon" in 24 different districts of the state under CAMPA scheme during 2020-21.

Chief Minister also distributed Smart Phones and Solar lights for Anti-Poaching Camps under various Protected Areas of Assam to facilitate the forest protection field staffs that perform their duty deep inside the forests and wildlife areas. A token distribution of 30 smartphones and solar lights for Dihing Patkai National Park and Dibru Saikhowa National Park was done by Chief Minister at Dinjan. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal also launched the People's Plantation programme today which is an effort to generate awareness about planting trees and under the initiative, each district unit will identify land where the local people can plant trees of medicinal values as well as indigenous fruit and flower bearing trees. Saying that people cannot survive without oxygen, Sonowal stressed on preservation of trees and forests and informed that state government has planted Rs 10 crore trees in the past four and half years. Apart from taking steps for protection from flood and erosion, measures have ben taken for wildlife preservation like making 33 highlands in Kaziranga National Park and minimizing rhino poaching cases, he informed.

Thanking the people of Laika- Dodhia for their role in preservation of Dehing-Patkai, Sonowal said that steps have been taken for their rehabilitation and the state government would provide Rs 1 lakh to each family of Laika- Dodhia which would deposited in their bank accounts after the beneficiary list is submitted by DCs of the concerned districts. Forest and Environment Minister Parimal Suklabaidya also spoke at the programme which was attended by Union Minister of State for Food Processing Rameswar Teli, several MLAs and a host of other dignitaries. Moreover, the Chief Minister inaugurated the construction work of 1 st phase of Kalaguru Bishnu Rabha Cultural and Sports Complex at Chabua and launched the scheme of piped cooking gas supply in the households at Muluk Gaon by Assam Gas Company. He also inaugurated the renewal works of water supply schemes at Miri Gaon and Borgadhoi. The Chief Minister also received a cheque of Rs 5.07 crore from Assam Gas Company as dividend due to the Assam Government.