HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Dec 20: The Dima Hasao Forest Division (West) and biodiversity conservation organisation Aaranyak have jointly published a coffee table book titled ‘Dima Hasao – Explore the Wonders of Nature’, an official statement said on Friday.
The book focuses on the faunal and floral resources of the region as well as the related cultural practices and sustained efforts for biodiversity conservation.
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This is the first attempt of its kind to compile biodiversity-focused information in an intuitive manner for the Dima Hasao district. The book is edited by Dr M Firoz Ahmed, Tuhin Langthasa, and Dr Dipankar Lahkar.
The book covers the diversity of plants, orchids, edible insects, butterflies, fishes, reptiles and amphibians, birds, and mammals. It contains information on 213 species of wild fauna and flora, including 59 species of birds, 41 species of mammals, 33 species of amphibians and reptiles, 22 species of fishes, 18 species of butterflies, 18 species of other insects, 22 species of orchids, and some important trees and shrubs of Dima Hasao. Each species is coded to emphasise the significance of the Dima Hasao ecosystem and its natural history. Newly described species from the district are also highlighted, along with all relevant information.
In addition, the book includes natural history notes on the endemic, locally extirpated, and extinct animals of Dima Hasao. It also highlights elements of the Indigenous people’s culture and their harmonious way of life with nature, along with traditional mythology surrounding Tortoise Lake, the contributions of Veer Demalik Kemprai, and interesting facts about hornbills and Amur falcons.
The information on all the featured species is illustrated with high-quality photographs. Contributors to the text include Dr Anwaruddin Choudhury, Dr Sarbojit Thaosen, Dr Ron Kemprai, Nirmendu Kemprai, Khyanjeet Gogoi, Dr Jintu Sarma, Dr Aparajita Datta, Dr Monsoon Jyoti Gogoi, Dr Jayanta Kumar Roy, Nitul Kalita, Jayanta Kumar Sarma, Dr Robindra Teron, and Dr Sabina Langthasa. More than 50 photographers contributed photographs for the book.
Dr Anwaruddin Choudhury, Dr Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, Bijay Sankar Bora, and Jayanta Kumar Pathak provided valuable guidance as editorial advisors for the book.
The book also includes checklists of animal and plant species of Dima Hasao, which might serve as a benchmark for scholars, environmental enthusiasts, and planners. The coffee table book was unveiled as part of the Falcon Festival on December 13, 2024, at Umrangso. During the launch ceremony, the chief executive member (CEM) of the NC Hills Autonomous Council, Debolal Gorlosa, mentioned, “Dima Hasao has a long legacy of wildlife explorations that began during the colonial era and has continued immensely to this day through the documentation of numerous new species. However, compiling all this valuable information and making it available to the general public in the form of such a book is an important step. The government of Assam and the North Cachar Autonomous Council are committed to conserving all of its pristine bio-resources as well as the cultural regimes that intersect and are passed down through generations.”
