A Jalpaiguri-based environmental set-up known as Society for Protecting Ophiofauna and Animal Rights is one-of-a-kind in North Bengal. It is highly proactive in countering ecological concerns and is not only involved in conservation of faunal biodiversity in the forests of North Bengal but is determined to safeguard the habitat of snakes with a special focus on Garumara National Park.

The voluntary group formed in 2011, is spread out in major towns of North Bengal including Siliguri and Cooch Behar. According to Ardhendu Banik, an executive member of the society, “Garumara National Park abounds in around 25 species of snakes, out of which the national park harbours five different kinds of poisonous snakes.

There are endangered species of snakes like green pit viper, Indo-Chinese rat snake, banded trinket and red coral kukri, a nocturnal snake species. It has been often found that a number of faunal species including bison, snakes, elephants, leopard cubs, the young ones of jungle cats, frogs, lizards and owls get trampled by speeding vehicles plying on Murti-Dhupjhora road that forms the connecting road of National Highway No 17 passing thorough Garumara National Park.

The authorities of Garumara National Park have declared Murti-Dhupjhora road as an eco-sensitive zone. We have requested the state forest department and Garumara National Park authorities to ban the movement of vehicles on Murti- Dhupjhora road from 6 pm to 6 am onwards every day. The speed limit of moving vehicles has been reduced to 30 km per hour. At present, the movement of vehicles has stopped as dusk descends.”

Besides, the environmental entity has also done something more to bring into account the wildlife diversity in and around Garumara National Park. Banik said, “In an attempt to document the number of faunal lives killed around Garumara National Park, our group has joined hands with Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) to install Road Watch App on Internet phones that has to be downloaded on the cell phone. Any individual can capture the image of the dead fauna on his cell phone and the data gets recorded. The app has been devised by WTI that has been rolled out in May this year.”

This indeed is a novel way of safeguarding the faunal diversity of the national park. Besides, the environmental group takes up cudgels to release scores of snakes trapped in residential areas back into their natural habitat. It also saves the snakes from being killed by human beings. “We have safeguarded the lives of a number of snakes from human attack,” further said Banik.

There is another bitter fact for environmentalists concerning Garumara National Park. Banik added, “Around 3,500 trees are being felled in the national park in order to build a flyover. Although Calcutta High Court has intervened last time but this time, thousands of trees will be axed to give way to the flyover.”