SAJTH, January 2012, Vol. 5, No. 1 Ecotourism in : A Promising Opportunity for Development

MEENA KUMARI DEVI*

*Meena Kumari Devi, Associate Professor, Economics, S.D College, , Assam.

Introduction Ecotourism is a new form of tourism based on the idea of sustainability. The term “ecotourism” has diverse meanings and scholars are not unanimous on what ecotourism really means. The concept of ecotourism came into prominence in the late 80s as a strategy for reconciling conservation with development in ecologically rich areas. Conservation of natural resources prevents environmental degradation. That is why, this form of tourism has received global importance. It is currently recognized as the fastest growing segment of the tourism market (Yadav 2002). The World Ecotourism Summit, held in Quebee City, Canada, from 19 th to 22 nd May, 2002, declared the year 2002 as the International Year of Ecotourism. Such declarations highlight the relevance and recognition of ecotourism, both locally and globally. Presently, ecotourism comprises 15-20% of international tourism. The growth rate of ecotourism and nature based activities is higher than most of the other tourism segments (Kandari and Chandra, 2004). Its market is now growing at an annual rate of 30% (Whelan, 1991). From this, the significance of ecotourism can be very easily evaluated.

Definitions of Ecotourism: The concept of ecotourism is relatively new and often confusing. Therefore, a range of definitions of ecotourism has evolved. The term ‘ecotourism’ was coined by Hector Ceballos Lascurian in 1983 to describe nature based travel. Ceballos Lascurisn (1987) defines it as “traveling to relatively undisturbed or un contaminated natural areas with specific

© South Asian Journal of Tourism and Heritage 180 MEENA KUMARI DEVI objectives of studying , admiring, enjoying the scenery and its wild plants and animals, as well as existing cultural manifestations (both past and present) found in these areas”. This definition was used subsequently by Boo (1990) and Lindberg (1991). In 1992, Elizabeth Boo forwarded her latest definition where she identified sustainable development effort as an important element of ecotourism Another definition by Valentine (1993) that states the characteristics of ecotourism is: “Ecotourism is restricted to that kind of tourism which is • Based on relatively undisturbed natural areas; • Non-damaging, non-degrading, ecologically sustainable; • A direct contributor to the continued protection and management of • The natural areas; and • Subject to an adequate and appropriate management regime.” Importance of Ecotourism Ecotourism confers social, economic and environmental benefits which are the three pillars of sustainable development. The importance of ecotourism has been increasing since the ‘Berlin declaration of Biological Diversity’ in 1997 where certain codes of ethics of ecotourism were developed. Sustainable ecotourism includes these internationally accepted codes of ethics of ecotourism. Ecotourism came into prominence in the world after the declaration of the International Year of ecotourism in the year 2002. Many countries like Kenya, Costa Rica, and South Africa have successfully promoted this sector of tourism. The government of India has also formulated certain policy guidelines for ecotourism known as ‘Policy Guideline 1998’. In our country, Kerela represents a unique picture of ecotourism. Besides, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and have also attained success to some extent. The government of India has identified six ecotourism circuits in the country and North East is one of them, which includes places like , Kaziranga, , , Sibsagar and Bhalukpung etc in Assam, and Cherrapunji in , in and in . The Government of India has rightly recognized that Assam has sufficient potentialities to develop this world famous sub sector of the tourism industry. Against this backdrop, the present paper makes an attempt to highlight ECOTOURISM IN ASSAM 181 the present status of . It also tries to identify the resource base of Assam to promote ecotourism and emphasizes the constraints relating to the development of ecotourism and finally, suggests some measures for attaining the desired development of ecotourism in the state. Thus the paper consists of three sections. Section I focuses on the present status of tourism in Assam. Section II discusses the potentialities of ecotourism in Assam and Section III shows the problems of tourism as well as ecotourism. SECTION I The Present Status of Tourism in Assam: Assam is the second largest north eastern state of India. It is dominated by rivers like the Brahmaputra and the Barak. A large part of Assam is situated in the narrow valley that these rivers have created over a huge period of time. The alluvial plains of the Assam valley (100km at the widest) enjoy an abundance of natural richness. (Government of India). Assam, also known as the Shangrila in the North-Eastern India, is the gateway to the North-East. Much of the state is devoted to tea plantation; Assam grows 55% of India’s tea and has 1.3 billion tones of proven crude oil. Assam has a rich legacy of culture and civilization. The state is the homeland of different races of men: Austrics, Mongolians, Dravidians and Aryans that came to dwell in her hills and valleys at different times since remote antiquity. Though Assam has been hospitable to visitors from an ancient era, yet tourism started flourishing only after the establishment of the Directorate of Tourism of Assam in 1959. Over the years, since 1959, this department has made considerable progress in this sector. The total number of tourists that Assam has been receiving since 1995 and the revenue generated is shown in Table I. The Table indicates that there is some sort of fluctuation, both in the number of tourists and the revenue collected there from. As can be seen, in 1998-99, there was a decrease in the number of tourists; but there was an increase of 16.03% in the revenue collected. On the other hand, in 2006-07, there was an increase in the number of tourists, but it led to a decrease of 6.67% in the revenue collection. However, since 2007-09, Assam has been witnessing an increase, both in the number of tourists and the revenue collected. Of course, the rise in revenue collection does not have much gradual tendency, yet it can be termed encouraging. 182 MEENA KUMARI DEVI Table I: Tourist Inflow and Revenue Collection from Tourism in Assam Year No. of Tourists Revenue (in Rs) % change in revenue 1 2 3 4 1996-1997 7,43,545 36,87,958.00 1997-1998 8,97,110 34,72,396.00 -5.84 1998-1999 7,75,889 40,56,888.00 +16.03 1999-2000 9,88,329 31,72,666.00 -21.79 2000-2001 9,68,444 35,87,224.00 +13.06 2001-2002 16,95,882 38,88,841.00 +8.40 2002-2003 20,09,483 41,03,051.00 +5.50 2003-2004 20,36,952 60,44,642.00 +47.37 2004-2005 21,95,605 69,02,443.00 +14.19 2005-2006 25,94,737 87,11,185.00 +26.20 2006-2007 34,93,527 81,29,651.00 -6.67 2007-2008 35,03,613 94,99,820.00 +16.85 2008-2009 37,13,239 1,03,91,516.00 +9.38 2009-2010 39,10,224 1,31,63,299.00 +26.67 2010-2011 41,43,080 1,43,60,969.00 +9.09 Source: Directorate of Tourism, (Figures in Column 4 are calculated by the author)

Although Assam has been progressing in tourism, yet it was not there in the list of the top ten states of India in respect of domestic as well as foreign tourists in 2010. It was even not having 2.5% share, which was the lowest, enjoyed by Gujarat in respect of domestic tourists and Goa, in respect of foreign tourists. Further, it was known from the Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India, that Assam had only 0.6% of India’s total domestic tourists and only 0.1% of the foreign tourists in 2009. In the year 2009, Assam stood at the 18 th position among the states of India, in respect of tourist inflow. Again, in a 2011 survey conducted by HVS, a leading consulting organization, Assam ranked 27 among 28 states in the country in the tourism survey based on ECOTOURISM IN ASSAM 183 various parameters. (The Telegraph, Calcutta, 28 September, 2011). It thus, wouldn’t be wrong to state that Assam has not been very successful in the tourism industry. Along with tourism, the ecotourism segment too has not been very successful. As a matter of fact, it is even more unsuccessful than tourism as a whole. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that ecotourism is in a deplorable state in Assam today. Though the state has sufficient resources, only six places are identified as ecotourism destinations. These are the , , , , Halflong and Majuli. SECTION II Potentialities of ecotourism in Assam: Assam, the most prominent state of North East India is said to be the hotspot for tourists for its natural beauty and favourable climate. This state is surrounded by Arunachal Pradesh, , Meghalaya, , Nagaland and . Assam also shares its border with and Bangladesh. The state is spread across an area of 78,438 sq km which represents 2.39 % of the Indian landmass. (Economic Survey, Assam, 2010- 11) The whole state is divided into two distinct natural regions, viz, the plain and the hills. The plain region comprises of the Brahmaputra and . The hill region consists of two hills namely the Karbi Anglong and the North Cachar hills. The state is the gateway to the north eastern region and is allied to India by a narrow strip in West Bengal called the Siliguri corridor or the Chicken Neck of India. Thus, Assam is in isolation from the rest of the country; yet she is famous for her unique physiological beauty with flora and fauna, historical monuments, pilgrim centres, tea gardens and her colourful cultural festivals which are considered as her tourism resources. Assam is rich in natural resources. About 35% of the state is covered with forests. There are five national parks, seventeen wildlife and bird sanctuaries and 2 biosphere reserves. A brief review of the five national parks and other ecotourism destinations of Assam are given in the next few lines: (i) Kaziranga National Park (K.N.P) : The Kaziranga National Park enjoys the limelight in Assam. It is situated in the and districts of central Assam, on the southern part of the Brahmaputra and at the foot of the Mikir Hill. It occupies an important place in the world ecosystem. The whole park has a large number of water bodies, hilly 184 MEENA KUMARI DEVI terrains, marshes and plains where dwell many species of unique flora and fauna, starting right from the Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceros to tiny turtles and where one can gather an exhilarating experience of adventure sports and an evergreen memory of the awe-inspiring nature. (ii) Manas National Park: Manas National Park, a world heritage site and an important tiger project of India, is located in the northern part of the district on the bank of the . About 157 km away from Guwahati, the Manas National Park covers an area of 500 sq km in the Himalayan foothill zone and has a core area of 360 km. The vegetation of Manas is marked by highland savanna, moist deciduous and tropical semi evergreen trees. It is a place famous for the golden langur, pigmy hog, hispid hare, wild buffalo, leopard etc. Occasional dwellers i.e. migratory birds like river chats, forktails, cormorants etc are often spotted here. All in all, Manas is a forest of endangered and rare flora and fauna- the very fact that attracts both national and international tourists. On top of the diverse wildlife, Manas also contains Mathanguri- a unique picnic spot at the bank of the Manas River that provides rafting and angling facilities to tourists. Tourists also enjoy the culture of the rural people of the southern Manas Park in the same visit. (iii) Nameri National Park : Nameri National Park, the third national park of Assam is situated at the foothills of the eastern . It is 216 km from Guwahati and 35 km from Tezpur. The park was declared a reserve forest in 1878, a wildlife sanctuary in 1985 and a national park on the 9 th of September, 1998. On the 1 st of March, 2000 it was stated a tiger reserve. Nameri is unparallel in the variety of its forest wealth that encompasses the semi- evergreen moist deciduous trees, cane and bamboo breaks, tiger, elephant, Indian bison and many other animals, birds, reptiles and insects etc. Besides flora and fauna viewing, the main tourist attractions of Nameri are-trekking, bird watching, angling on the Jiabharali etc. It may be worth mentioning that angling for the golden has been the trademark of Nameri right from . Each year, the Jiabharali attracts anglers from all over the world. Regulated angling is permitted on a selected stretch of the river strictly on a ‘catch-record and release’ basis. The Tourism Department of the Assam Government has developed an ecotourism resort at Bhalukpung, which is about 21 km from the park. There is also an eco camp at Potasali which provides both accommodation and food, making the tourists awe-stricken by nature. ( and Gogoi, 2008) ECOTOURISM IN ASSAM 185 (iv) Orang National Park: Orang National Park is situated on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra. Covering an area of 78.81 sq km, (Government of Assam) the park is the home to many endangered species of wildlife like the rhinoceros, spot billed pelican and greater adjutant stork etc. The area is also rich in rural life and culture. Not only this, there is a possibility of water sports in the Brahmaputra and Dhansiri near Orang National Park. There are ample scopes for cycling and trekking in the countryside too. Thus, it is seen that the Orang National Park is filled with ecotourism potentials. But the accessibility to this park is limited. Due to the lack of publicity and required facility, the area is yet to gain popularity among foreign tourists. (v) Majuli: Majuli is a large river island in the in Assam. Majuli is the largest river island in India (the largest river island in the world is Bananal Island in Brazil). Majuli had a total area of 1,250 square kilometers (483 sq mi), but having lost significantly to erosion, it now has an area of only 421.65 square kilometers. The island is formed by the Brahmaputra River in the south and joined by the Subansiri River in the north. Majuli, the melting spot of various tribes and communities like Ahoms, Kacharis, Brahmins, Kalitas, Koch Rajbongshi, Bonais, Koibartas, Nepalis, Kumars, Bengalis and Rajasthanis etc has been the cultural capital and the cradle of Assamese civilization for the past five hundred years. The satras set up there, preserve antiques like weapons, utensils, jewellery and other items of cultural significance. Pottery is done in Majuli from beaten clay and burnt in driftwood fired kilns in the same mode as carried out by the people of the ancient Harrappan Civilisation. Sociologists have stressed on the preservation of these unique people, whose culture and dance forms are untouched by modernism. The handloom work of these tribes is also internationally famous. The satras have also honed certain art and craft traditions, which can now be found only here. In Natun Samuguri for example, one can still find the craft of mask-making; and in the Kamalabari satra, the finest boats are made. A wetland, Majuli is a hotspot for flora and fauna, harbouring many rare and endangered avifauna species including migratory birds that arrive in the winter season. Among the birds seen here are: the Greater Adjutant Stork , Pelican, Siberian Crane and the Whistling Teal. After dark, wild geese and ducks fly in flocks to distant destinations. The island is almost pollution free owing to the lack of polluting industries and factories and also the chronic rainfall. The various tourist interests are: 186 MEENA KUMARI DEVI • The Vaishnava Satras like , Garamurh satra, Auniati satra, Kamalabari satra, Benegenaati satra etc • The colourful culture of the tribes • Migratory birds • The Ali-ai-ligang festival in Feb-March • Pottery making • Mask making • Paal Naam and Raas Leela festival in winter • The sunset in winter • Exotic homespun masks crafts (Government of Assam) (vi) Haflong : Haflong is a town and the headquarters of North Cachar Hills district in Assam. It is about 325 km from Guwahati and is well connected by NF railway and ASTC buses from Guwhati. It is adoringly known as the 'Switzerland of the East'. Haflong is a quaint hill station, breathtakingly beautiful. It is garlanded by hills and is an unending saga of gently flowing streams and waterfalls. The hills are hidden by rolling mists and clouds that float within one’s fingertips. Places that attract tourists in Haflong are: : Jatinga is just 9 km from Haflong and world famous for bird mystery (Birds Harakiri). The migratory birds come during the months August to November and commit suicide, hence making it the ornithologist's attraction. From the elevated watch tower one can see them yielding to their death wish and their little plumage dropping down. : Located on the bank of the river Mahur and 53 km from Haflong, Maibang once flourished as the capital of the Dimasa, Kachari Kingdom. Stone houses and the temples of the Kachari kings and other ruins of the kingdom are the main attractions of the place. Umrangso : 112 km from Haflong and 224 km from Guwahati, Umrangso is famous for the huge Hydel power plant has come up under North East electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) with dams in the . Near Umrangso, there is a Hot spring (Garampani), the water of which is believed to have medicinal value. Panimoor: Approximately 120 km away from Haflong and 8-10 km from Haflong Tiniali, the Kopili River turns into a thrilling waterfall, rolling over the rocks of Panimoor. ECOTOURISM IN ASSAM 187 (vii) Chandubi Lake : The Chandubi Lake is situated at a distance of 64 kilometers from the city of Guwahati in Assam. The beauty of the lake and its surroundings lay a charm that lures a huge number of tourists who visit the place to relax in the lap of nature. Chandubi Lake is a popular destination for ecotourism. The lake holds the rich floral system. It is the home to a large number of aquatic plants. The lake also holds exotic wildlife. It is the breeding ground of both the residential and migratory birds. The lake offers its visitors the opportunity to go for fishing in the water of the lake. The administrators of the lake have also provided the tourists with the provisions to go rowing in the calm lake waters. The presence of such provisions makes the Chandubi Lake an ideal tourist destination. Mobile phones do not work in this area (Not even BSNL network) and there are no land telephone lines as well. One is not able to even charge camera batteries. This place is therefore, not a lead from the view point of communication. (viii) Rani Reserved Forest : Rani Reserve Forest, an undisturbed corridor of rainforest that connects Assam with Myanmar and the rest of Far East, is about 20 km from Guwahati. Featured by breath-taking view, hilly terrains and cultural diversity, Rani contains a rich faunal miscellany. Prominent among them are: the elephant, barking deer, sambar, capped langur, leopard and several varieties of reptiles. Rani hosts an extensive network of fisheries with 23 acres under aqua cultivation including cultivation of ornamental and edible fishes. It also hosts a dairy farm and a piggery (Government of Assam). Rani, dotted with sal, is however facing an unbridled commercial exploitation of time. According to of 13 March, 2010, the required protection of the area by the government is missing. But even with many problems and restrictions, Rani still doesn’t fail to be an ecotourism destination of Guwahati. (ix) Hajo : Hajo is about 30 km from Guwahati. It contains vast areas of wetlands where people can enjoy fishing. The hills and forest areas of Hajo have wide scopes of developing eco friendly adventure sports like trekking, mountaineering, rock climbing etc. It is a pilgrim centre of , and Islam and is thus, very popular among tourists. (x) Darranga : Darranga is at a distance of 45 km, north of Rangia, on the Assam-Bhutan border of the . Darranag is well known for the annual fair called ‘Darranga Mela’. The Mela starts in autumn and continues upto the spring season. This is a meeting point of the people from the plains and hills. The life style and culture of its people is very interesting for 188 MEENA KUMARI DEVI tourists. The place is rich in natural beauty and ideal for cycling. Besides, tourists are attracted to the textile and Bhutanese products noticed especially during the Darranga Mela. (xi) : It is located in the at about 35 km from the outskirts of Guwahati. Mayong is the melting point of different tribes and communities of Assam, where each lives in harmony. The people of Mayong lead a very obsolete life. Black magic and witchcraft are the identities of Mayong. (xii) Bardowa : Bordowa is situated 16km away from Nagaon. It is a holy place for the Assamese community as the Vaishnava Saint Sri Sri was born in 1449 in Alipukhuri near Bordowa. SriSankardev built the foundation of Assamese culture and enriched its literature in Bardowa and hence, this place is famous for the Satriya dance and Bhaona (folk drama). (xiii) : Bhairabkunda is a popular picnic spot in in the State of Assam , India . It is situated on the Border of Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh , near the Bhutanese town Daifam . It is considered an ideal ecotourism destination as there are plenty of scopes for trekking along the Jia Dhansiri that flows by this place. Besides, scope for canoeing and angling is found in this river. Apart from the places mentioned above, there are many other places that are yet to be explored and developed from tourism perspectives. Thus it is obvious that the state has a bright future with respect to the tourism industry as a whole and the ecotourism segment in particular. Almost all the places of the state are attractive to tourists- be it for natural beauty or wildlife, religious or cultural reasons, history or archaeological studies and so on. In fact, the large biodiversity, rolling hills, green valleys, virgin forests, the mighty Brahmaputra and its tributaries, numerous beels and other wetlands etc-all can make the state a major centre for tourism and ecotourism. The prime segments of ecotourism in Assam: (A) Wildlife Tourism : The national parks, bird and wildlife sanctuaries of Assam are good examples of wildlife tourism. About 180 species of mammals, 195 species of reptiles and more than 800 species of birds are found here which are significant in comparison to any other state of India. (Government of Assam) (B) River Tourism : The mighty Brahmaputra and the Barak attract the ECOTOURISM IN ASSAM 189 water adventure lovers from different parts of the world. The tributaries of both the rivers have immense potentialities for angling, boating, canoeing, parasailing etc. The areas that have potentials in angling are: • Mathanguri (Manas River) • Umrangso (Kapili River) • Panimoor (Kapili and Amring river) • Ramghat (Burai River) • Pathali Pam (Subansiri river) To make river tourism even more interesting, the ASTC as well as the private sector of Assam have introduced cruising facilities for domestic and foreign tourists like M.V Charaideu, Sukafa, Jalparee, Alfrasco etc. (Government of India) (C)Tea and Golf Tourism : The tea gardens rolling out green carpets for miles are ideal to meet the pursuit of romantic and exotic experience of modern tourists. Many tea gardens have 18-hole golf courses- another major attraction for modern tourists. There are more than 800 tea estates and 20 golf estates within the state. Mini airstrips fitted with golf courses are surely attractive destinations for the international tourists for whom ambience is the most important aspect of a leisure holiday. Some of the golf courses are: golf tourism, Margherita golf club, Biswanathan golf etc. The courses have natural greens as there is plenty of rainfall and ground water available. (Government of India). The ATDC (Assam Tourism Development Corporation) has introduced a tea festival that is held in every year. (D) Cultural-Heritage Tourism : Cultural-heritage tourism is a kind of cultural tourism. Cultural tourism is referred to the kind of tourism, which is concerned with the culture of a specific region or country, particularly in the arts. Cultural-heritage tourism is closely related to cultural tourism as it is a branch that is oriented towards understanding the heritage of a specific area or region. The heritage of Assam mainly revolves around the archeological remains of the Ahoms, British and Pals like Rangghar, Kareng Ghar , etc. Most of these are religious sites like temples and shrines like the ancient Kamakhya Mandir, Vishnu Dol etc. (E)Rural Tourism : Rural tourism is a tourism that focuses on participating in a rural lifestyle. It can be a variant of ecotourism. Tourists appreciate the ethnic variety, the cultural mosaic and the lifestyle of the 190 MEENA KUMARI DEVI , which is different from many normal tourist places. This interest has been systematically developing in Assam through the promotion of rural tourism so that the tourist gets a different experience and the socio- economic benefits of tourism are spread to the rural areas. The focus of promotion is local art, craft and culture. The rural tourism villages are being made part of the integrated tourism circuits. The famous rural tourists’ sites of Assam are Hajo, Sualkuchi (Kamrup), Durgapur (Golaghat) which is in the periphery of the Kohora Range of Kaziranga and Mayong (Morigaon). All in all, Assam is a state that has remarkable potentialities in tourism. The Table II allows us to have a quick glance at the tourism intensity in the different tourism sites of Assam: Table II : Tourist Destinations Of Assam Category Name Very High Potential Guwahati Areas High Potential Kaziranga, Halflong, Tezpur, Majuli, Mahar, Hamren Areas Moderately high Umranso, , N. Lakhimpur, Dokmoka, Orang, potential areas Chandubi, Hajo, Mayang, Sibsagar central, , Biswanath, Sibsagar South, Garampani, Guwahati, North , Sreesurya, Bhubanbill, Digboi, Khetri, , Bardowa Moderately low Chapanala, Gohpur, Jorhat, Akashiganga, Silghat, potential areas Bharaibkunda, Bhalukpung, Chakrasila, North, Sibsagar North, Hawazan, Nalbari, Lunding, Barpeta, Tukreshwari, Sadia, Numaligarh, Pancharatna, Gauripur, Bagarabari Low potential Chaigaon, Darrang, Bandardewa, , Patshala, areas. Rangapara, Lawkhowa, Kokrajar

Source: Assam Science Technology and Envt. Council, ASTEC (2004) SECTION III Problems of Tourism as well as Ecotourism As seen in the previous pages, tourism and ecotourism do not seem to be ECOTOURISM IN ASSAM 191 attaining a noteworthy height despite the various measures taken by the Government for their development. What pulls back the promising government schemes are as follows: • Insufficient transport and communication facilities • Unavailability of average standard accommodation • Inadequate public services like PCOs, ATM systems etc • Frequent power cut-offs • Communication gaps between tourists and people • Flash floods, heavy rainfall, waterlogged roads etc • Insurgency problems of the state • Poverty and poor living standards of the people • Inefficient and negative roles of the media Conclusion Tourism is a sector which cannot grow and sustain by the efforts of the government alone. It requires private initiatives for promotion. In fact, tourism is a multi-dimensional activity and has strong inter-related linkages and so, proper care to develop all the links and sectors involved in this business is of prime consideration. It is needless to mention that Assam has several ecotourism resources. It is a centre of nature based tourism; the large biodiversity, rolling hills, green valleys, virgin forests, the mighty Brahmaputra and its tributaries, numerous beels and other wetlands etc-all make the state a major centre for tourism and ecotourism. As such, it is an obligation of each and every citizen to preserve this ecologically fragile state and conserve its rich biodiversities. Indeed, it is not a cakewalk to develop this sector. However, adequate measures initiated by the government and cooperation can contribute sustainability towards the comprehensive development of the state.

REFERENCES

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