Malda: Survey for land status & fish diversity to be done at Hijal Forest

A survey for the land status and fish diversity at the Hijal (Barringtonia acutangula)Forest of Tilasan in Habibpur, Malda is going to be carried out by the district administration for the proposed biodiversity heritage site there.

Located in Malda, this is the largest Hijal Forest of India. It has immense potential for tourism.

With help from the Forest Department, the district administration has proposed to give it a biodiversity heritage site tag. For this, the nature of land and the variety of fishes inhabiting there are to be reviewed by the concerned departments.

Nitin Singhania, District Magistrate Malda, said: “For conservation and tourism development of the area we are taking steps to mark the forest as a biodiversity heritage site. We have sent our proposal to the state biodiversity board. The district administration is also putting in a lot of effort for the forest to be marked as Ramsar wetland site- the third in West Bengal.”

A Ramsar Site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance. These wetlands are protected under strict guidelines of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty, named after Ramsar city of Iran where it was signed in 1971, for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural, scientific, and recreational value.

The Hijal Forest is spread over a land of almost 250 hectares in both India and Bangladesh at Tilasan area in Habibpur block of Malda. This forest at the India-Bangladesh international border is very popular among people here.

Groups of picnic goers flock here in winter for outings. Migratory birds flock here. It is also inhabited by fishing cats- the state animal along with a wide variety of fishes. For promoting tourism the district administration proposed a biodiversity park in the area in allegiance with the Forest Department. The officials are also very much hopeful of getting the nod from the state biodiversity board in the matter.

Vaibhav Choudhary, Additional District Magistrate (general), said: “We had a meeting with the state biodiversity board. There are certain criteria to be fulfilled. We are to know the land status of the area and the varieties of fish inhabiting the place. A review will be conducted for this.”