Dibru- Saikhowa National Park

News: After Oil India Limited’s (OIL) permission to explore and extract oil and natural gas was rejected in Dibru- Saikhowa National Park, it has applied for carrying out a Research and Development Study in the same well. 

About Dibru- Saikhowa National Park

• It is a national park and biosphere reserve located in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts of Assam. 
  • The park is bordered by the Brahmaputra and Lohit Rivers in the north and Dibru river in the south. 
• It is the largest salix swamp forest in north-eastern India with a tropical monsoon climate, marked by hot and wet summer and cool and dry winter. 
• Conservation History: 
  • 1890- The area was declared as Dibru Reserved Forest. 
  • 1997- Dibru- Saikhowa Biosphere Reserve was declared. 
  • 1999- The sanctuary area was declared as a National Park. 
• Flaura: It consists of moist mixed semi-evergreen forests, moist mixed deciduous forests, canebrakes and grasslands. 
• Fauna: It houses Bengal tiger, clouded leopard, dhole, hoolock gibbon, Ganges dolphin, hog deer, water buffalo etc. 
  • It has been identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International given the avian biodiversity it supports. 
  • The park is known for its majestic feral horse population. 
• Several indigenous tribal communities and tribes like Mishings, Sonowal Kacharis, Deoris inhabit the national park and its surrounding areas.