1.ANGINA- ECOLOGICAL
CUM RURAL TOURISM PROJECT
ANGINA, a very
special village on the border with Bangladesh,
in the district of Dakshin Dinajpur, Kumarganj Block under Samjia Gram Panchayet
some 30 km away from the district headquarter – Balurghat, is a peaceful
breeding place for the various migratory birds. It has been the rallying point
for thousands of migratory birds since 1997. Angina is well connected by road
with Balurghat which is also the nearest railway station.
WHY ANGINA- The Movement
This bird-village,
is unique not only in the sense of being a complete birding destination but
also as a place where birds, wild animals such as foxes, wild cats, big water
lizards and human are habituated in sharing the common courtyard for peaceful
co-existence without disturbing each other. It is one of those destinations
where one can sight avian fauna
throughout the year. The peak birding
season usually starts from July and lasts upto November. It’s a home to an
array of winged visitors both resident
and migratory.
Today the local
villagers proudly describes the amazing journey which started over a decade
ago. A committee had been formed among
the villagers known as Angina Birds And Environment Protection Samity to
safeguard the birds. The villagers started to give protection to their beloved
feathered guests round the clock from the hands of the poachers. The villagers
stopped using poisonous pesticides in their agricultural land. They started
organic farming in the adjacent lands of the village. The children stopped
using fire crackers during festivals.
Gradually the number of birds kept on increasing year after year. They
found this village, a peaceful and safe haven for breeding.
However,it was a big challenge for the villagers to
safe those poor little birds falling from their nests. The local children were
encouraged to treat the ailing birds. With full enthusiasm the children came
forward and shouldered the responsibility. The children like Tatai Shil, Suvendu
Basak, Sebak Shil, Santu Mondal started collecting old sarees from the
villagers, made bandages out of them and with every attention and love tied the
bandages to the injured parts of the birds. They started collecting snails,
shell-fish, crabs, frogs and insects from the adjacent rice fields and marsh
lands and fed those ailing birds. The experts on birds told that it was an
impossible task for them to save those birds as the open bill storks mainly
feed the little ones by regurgitating the food. But it seemed that nothing
could discourage or stop the children. The children living below poverty line found it difficult to make both
ends meet but gave full attention to the nursing of the birds. Finally the
children with their zeal and determination saved the birds proving the experts
wrong. One day without any warning those birds flew away from Angina . Next
season the birds started landing again in Angina. The children could easily
recognize the birds by spotting the bandages on their legs.
Today Angina is
one of the greatest spots for the breeding of the migratory birds. Different
varieties of birds can be seen here including
Asian Open Bill Storks, egrets, herons,
barbets, water hen, cormorants,
kingfishers, little green bee
eaters, verdiator fly catcher, shrike,
coucal, rufous treepie,
owls, parakeet, sunbird,
Indian roller, weaver bird, tailor bird, cinereous tit, black hooded oriole, chest nut tailed starling, adjutants
etc.
Besides all these, village life can truly be
experienced here and above all it is a destination known for its rustic charm
to the nature and bird lovers.
IMPLEMENTING PARTNER
The NGO,
named Angina Birds and Environment
Protection Samity (S/1L/14148 of 2002-2003) has been
promoting tourism with conservation in the whole of the district. It has been
playing massive role in protecting,
salvaging, maintaining and nourishing the migratory birds.
- It is a
ten year old NGO working heartily to promote village tourism in Angina.
- It is not debarred by any department
under the Central Government or the State Government.
- The NGO
had won the Environment Excellence award in 2005.
- The NGO
had encouraged the villagers to start home stay facilities for the
tourists. Many tourists like professors of Shibpur Engineering college,
bird experts, bird lovers from silchar , jodhpur came here and enjoyed the
warm hospitality of the villagers.
- It is
maintaining a register where thousands of tourists from different parts of
the world have registered their valuable comments.
- The NGO
has already encouraged the villagers to give their lands to start eco
based tourism and some of them are so much interested that they want to
donate their land for the sake of tourism.
- The NGO
organizes routine based awareness programmes among the people of Angina
and the people of adjacent villages about the importance of environment
and birds.
- The NGO has trained and recruited some of
the villagers to help the tourists as guides.
- The NGO does
snail farming to feed the birds.
INFRASTRUCTURE
DEVELOPMENT
The
following things are required to develop the basic infrastructure of the
village for promoting tourism :
- A
parking place required for parking of cars of the tourists.
- Roads
inside the village must be transformed from kuchha to pucca.
- A
eco- friendly tourist lodge inside the village for accommodating the
tourists apart from the home stay
facilities to be developed.
- Clean
drinking water facility and proper sanitation required for day visitors.
- A
watch tower to watch the birds.
- Colourful
paddle boats in the pond with gardening and decoration to be introduced
for the tourists
- Eco
friendly benches throughout the village and beside the ponds for proper
sitting arrangements for the tourists.
- A
Bird rescue and rehabilitation centre along with a Nature Interpretation
Centre.
- A
small handloom industry where the villagers can prepare different products
for selling to the tourists.
2.KUSHMANDI CULTURAL AND RURAL TOURISM
PROJECT
Kushmandi Block situated on the northern part of Dakshin
Dinajpur is not only rich for its archaeological assets but also for its folk
culture. Kushmundi is an important and famous place for its bamboo and wooden craft industry, Dhokra
and Dangri art.
Mahisbathan (khunia Danga) and Usha Haran are places in Kushmundi where wooden masks are
made in huge variety especially from local woods. These masks of Mahisbathan
are an important part of the social and cultural activities of the district.
These masks are distinct as they represent Gods, Goddesses and characters from
the mythology and history. These masks have become a popular theatre craft
admired for its simplicity. Over the years these wooden masks have evolved into
an admirable craftsmanship with its exquisite design and finish. Woodden masks
of Mahisbathan are the creations of the artisans who with their exclusive use
of cuttings and colours give the masks a touch of their originality. A
co-operative society, namely Mahisbathan Hosto Shilpo Samabay Samity is running
this mask industry in Mahisbathan. Not only this but also the Dhokra art is
also a famous and exclusive art of Kushmundi where the artists prepare many
shapes, dolls, idols from the jute. And the Dangri art is yet another art of
Kushmundi where the artists make different and designer blankets out of old
sarees and dresses.
The enriched folk songs of the rural areas of Kushmundi are
famous for their unique styles and compositions. The folk songs reflect the
inherent natural talent of the rural artists who compose the splendid music to
refresh their mind and explore their hidden potentialities.
Important folk cultures of the region are
A)
KHAN, mainly performed by the rural
communities and the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes is a kind of folk
opera songs interwined with the dialogues.
B)
GAMBHIRA dance and Gambhira songs are quite
popular in Kushmundi. Lord Shiva also known as Gambhir and Gambhir is
originally celebrated as a puja worship. The dance is a combination of
narrative song and music which resembles a folk play. The theme of the dance is
based on social, political, economic and moral problems of the contemporary
society.
C)
Mask dance locally known as MOKHA NACH is the common festival among
the people of the rural areas which represent various ethnic groups.
D)
NATUA is a kind of opera mainly based on
the divine of Radha and Krishna.
E)
HALNA
HALNANI is a folk-opera type
performance. Main characteristics are two fictious persons – Male Halna and
Female Halnanai.
F)
CHOR CHUNNI is a popular folk art of the region
depicting the rise and fall of various mythological characters.
G) JALMANGA GAAN is basically a prayer song sung by
the females for the hope of rain in the drought season.
Besides these Manasamangal Pala , Ba-Khela etc are also the important traditional folk
cultures of Kushmundi.
IMPLEMENTING PARTNER:
Dishari Sankalpo (S/1L/44565 of 2007-2008)
It is a five –years-old NGO. It is not debarred by any
department under the central or the state Government. The secretary, Mr. Tuhin
Subhra Mondal have won the Anandaloke Selam Bengal Award in 2010 for environment
conservation and environment education. They have been working for the creation
of ecotourism spots and promotion of ecotourism. Though it is mainly an
environmental organization but it is working also on various social problems
and also to popularize science based activities in day to day life. It has
organized environmental Awareness Rally.
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
To promote
rural tourism in Kushmundi , the thrust is for development of tourism
infrastructure at the identified site so
that socio economic benefits percolate down to the rural community. The following things are required to develop
the basics to promote rural tourism in
Kushmundi.
- Development
of pucca roads in the villages.
- Accomodation of the tourists through home stay facilities in the villages to
be opened.
- A Parking place for the vehicles with toilet
facilities and eating joints to be created.
- Folk
culture cultivation centre cum museum cum selling outlet to be opened.
- Proper drinking water facility to be set up for
the day visitors.
- Proper sanitation facility to be set up within
the village.
- A restaurant with local traditional recipe to be
opened for the tourists.
- A
permanent stage to be made for the folk dancers to display their skills in
front of the tourists.
- Beautification and modification of Ayra forest.
- A tree house with cottages can be made for
accommodating the tourists.
11. The remains of the Indigo factory can
be modified to highlight its importance before the tourists.
BRIEF WRITEUP ON A PREMIER ECOTOURISM SPOT
BHALUKA ECO TOURISM SPOT
BHALUKA BEEL, a completely unexplored, unidentified, virgin place, situated within Hilli block in Jamalpur GP, has the potential to turn into a dream destination for all kinds
of tourists including nature lovers and bird lovers from all over the
country and abroad. The pristine virgin beauty of the place with
substantial tribal population residing along its periphery presents an
ideal destination for eco cultural
tourism in line with similar European destinations. Different varieties
of migratory birds visit the place round the year. In vacant land,
species of trees providing for the natural habitat of the birds are
being planted under MGNREG scheme under implementation by the block.
Tourists will be accommodated in eco-friendly cottages with bird
watching arrangements and will be entertained by rides provided by
manually operated country boats. Tourists will be provided glimpses of
the Santhal and Oraon tribal culture by arranging for tribal dance shows
and home stay arrangements . At a more mature stage of the project,
provisions for birds' rescue centre, watch tower, birds' museum, nature
interpretation centre, house boat, tree house, canopy walk amidst the
habitat may be provided as well., over the
country and abroad. If given little attention it can be the best and the
biggest bird sanctuary in India.
FAQs
:
1.
Where is Bhaluka?
Ans:
It is situated in Hili block near Jamalpur gram panchayet. A pucca village main
road connects the place with Balurghat – Hili state high way at Teor.
2.
What is there in Bhaluka?
Ans:
A large water body of 50 acres with marsh land, vested land of nearly 20 acres
with thousands of migratory birds flocking.
3.
Why Bhaluka?
Ans:
Firstly there is approximately 70 to 80 acres of land with huge waterbody which
can be taken into account at a time to materialize the
project.
Secondly the Asian open bill storks generally fly back during
winter.
But surprisingly hundreds of open bill storks along with the winter migratory
birds can be seen here in winter. That means a tourist can find birds of
different species throughout the year. Not only that the largest variety and
the largest number of migratory birds in the whole district can also be found
here.
4.
How can Bhaluka be developed?
Ans:
Bhaluka can be well developed through eco tourism. By maintaining the
ecological balance of the environment and developing the economical condition
of the villagers by making them participate in different activities of the eco
resort.
5.
How can Bhaluka welcome the tourists.?
Ans:
If once the dream project Bhaluka starts functioning, it will be a dream
destination for the tourists. A warm hospitality will be awaiting for the
tourists.
a)
The tourists coming to Bhaluka will be
taken to the spot 1 km away from the road by colourful bullock cart. These
carts will be driven by the local villagers. So this will be a source of income
for them.
b)
Once they arrive they will be escorted
to their eco friendly cottages made of bamboo and wood.
c)
They will be provided with local food
prepared in the canteen. The chef and the canteen boys can be appointed among
the villagers. So this will also be a source of income for them.
d)
After lunch the tourists can enjoy boat
ride in the lake. The country boats will be ridden by the local villagers.
e)
In the evening the tourists can enjoy
cultural tribal dance. The local tribes can be trained and engaged in it.
f)
In the morning after breakfast the tourists
can go for a walk through the sanctuary and visit the watch tower. From there
they can watch birds and can have a glimpse of the picturesque view of the
sanctuary.
g)
After that they will come to visit the
mini zoo.
h)
A museum on birds can be set up to enrich
the tourists about birds.
i)
Before coming back the tourists will be
provided with gifts made by the local villagers.
The fees
for all the activities along with accommodation will be a lumpsum amount which
is to be paid by the tourists at the time of booking.
The
following things are required to materialize the project.
1. ECO
friendly cottages with attached bathrooms with all modern amenities.
2.
Bullock cart
3. dining
hall with canteen
4. Water
tank
5. A road
of 1 km for all seasons.
6. One
dormitory for the drivers.
7. one
parking place for the outside cars.
8. watch
tower
9. a mini
zoo
10. a nature interpretation centre with a bird
museum
11. a
bird rehabilitation centre.
12. country
boats
13.
binocular, torch, video camera, projector, raincoat. Etc.
14.
afforestation
15. snail
farming centre .
16. a
small handloom industry
