Socio-Environmental Survey of an Ecologically Important Forest Edge Hamlet in Buxa Tiger Reserve, West Bengal, India

Abstract

Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) is located in Alipurduar Sub Division of West Bengal, India. It comprises of the entire forest area of the erstwhile Buxa Forest Division (Created in 1877 – 78) and some territory of the erstwhile neighboring Cooch Behar Forest Division. The Reserve lies between Latitudes 23o30′ N to 23o50′ N and Longitudes 89o25′ E to 89o55′ E. The total area of the reserve is 760.87 km2 of which 385.02 km2 has been constituted as the Buxa Sanctuary and National Park (Core zone of the BTR) and the balance 375.85 km2 areas is treated as a buffer zone. It has 37 forest villages and 4 fixed demand holdings, 46 revenue villages and 34 tea gardens in and around it. The survey work was done in May, 2015 by visiting a forest edge village, 28 Mile, in Buxa Tiger Reserve and the primary data were gathered through field survey and direct contact with common people and authorized centres of the region. Surveys on the demography, agriculture, livestock management, water management, education, culture, health, waste management, disaster management, transport, biodiversity, joint forest management activities, Non-timber forest product usage and human animal conflict were done in this area. In every phase of the survey work, photographic documentation was done. In spite of being positioned in a diverse and sensitive ecological zone, the village is not adequately managed. There is an urgent need for implementing sustainable management systems in the areas for the betterment of the socio-environmental structures. Some of the possible management strategies have been suggested for maintaining the social, environmental, economic and ecological balance of the region.