The Bongaigaon district authorities (Assam) on June 5, 2019 launched a ₹27.24-lakh project under the MGNREGA to plant guava, mango, blackberry and other fruit trees to ensure that the resident golden langurs of the 17 sq.km. Kakoijana Reserve Forest
- This is first time since it became law in 2005, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) will have non-human beneficiaries — the rare golden langur (Trachypithecus geei) in a reserve forest in Kakoijana Reserve Forest western Assam’s Bongaigaon district.
- The objective is that they do not have to risk their lives to find food as several golden langurs have died due to electrocution and in road accidents while looking for food beyond the reserve forests.
- The project entails planting 10,575 saplings and seedlings of fruit-bearing trees .
- Although the wildlife activists have appreciated the Bongaigaon administration’s step, yet that says that the effort can be sustained only if Kakoijana is declared a wildlife sanctuary.
- Kakoijana was once contiguous with the Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary, about 40 km away and straddling adjoining Dhubri and Kokrajhar districts.
- Officials said there are about 1,400 golden langurs, currently classified as endangered, in India.
About Golden Langur
- A species endemic to semi-evergreen and mixed-deciduous forests of Indo-Bhutan border, Golden langurs (Trachypithecus geei) came to be known to the western world after its discovery by naturalist E P Gee in the 1950s.
- It has already been listed as endangered species in the IUC Red List and Schedule-I species in Indian Wildlife Protection act 1972.
- It is found in Assam’s Umananda island and Kakoijana Reserve Forest .
