A Class 3 tribal girl has ensured much-needed relief for the students of her school battling scorching summer heat. Nikita Basumatary (8) of Bodoland Academy in Baksa district had made an appeal to “Himanta Mama” (CM Himanta Biswa Sarma) through a video message uploaded on Facebook, seeking fans at her school to beat the heat.
The video, filmed when the child was returning home from school on a bicycle along with a family member, went viral on social media platforms in no time. The CM’s office fulfilled the child’s request within 24 hours by giving a few fans to the school in coordination with local authorities.
Assam’s juicy heritage goes global
The second edition of Tezpur Litchi Festival, held from June 6 to 7, concluded on a high note with the export of 1,000 kgs of this juicy heritage of Assam to Dubai and 600 kgs to Singapore. Tezpur Litchi, widely known for its excellent quality and flavour, was granted a GI tag in 2015.
The festival drew hundreds of people. Legend has it that litterateur Padmanath Gohain Baruah—during the time when he was the chairman of Tezpur Municipal Board—had planted the first litchi saplings on the banks of the ‘Paltanpukhuri’, an area where a military regiment used to be garrisoned. Grown over 250 bighas, the Tezpur litchi is considered a prized fruit.
Pygmy hogs return to Manas after 9 years
Pygmy hogs—the world’s smallest and rarest wild pig and a species listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List—returned to the Manas National Park after nine years. Fifteen captive-bred pygmy hogs were released into the Kuribeel grasslands of the park in lower Assam by the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHPC).
The PHCP has plans to release around 80 pygmy hogs over the next five years.
“The reintroduction of the endangered pygmy hogs in Manas National Park is a remarkable conservation achievement,” said Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden of Assam Dr Vinay Gupta.
Prasanta mazumdar
Our correspondent in Guwahati
prasantamazumdar@newindianexpress.com
