The Himalayas are unique in that they possess almost equal amounts of ecological as well as cultural and emotional significance. They have long served as a muse to multiple colonies of artists across time and space. Even the illustrious Nicholas Roerich, the only foreign Navratna, was deeply fond of the range and his expedition across the Himalayas turned out to be one of the most transformative experiences of his artistic career. The Eastern Himalayas in particular are extraordinary as the great variation in altitude helps create remarkable levels of biodiversity. The two jewels in the crown of the Eastern Himalayas, which help showcase such diversity, are Khangchendzonga National Park and Namdapha National Park.
Namdapha National Park, in Arunachal Pradesh, has high degrees of rainfall coupled with a wide altitudinal range of 200 to 4500 meters, which creates a peculiar combination of climatic conditions. The climatic variability, in turn gives rise to extreme floral and faunal heterogeneity. The Arunachal state government estimates that the biodiversity of the region is so unexplored that it would take half a century to investigate comprehensively. The state authorities also claim that it is the only park in the world where the four pantherinae species of tigers, leopards, snow leopards and clouded leopards exist together. Moreover, the clouded leopard in India exists only east of Sikkim longitudinally and is presumed to have gone extinct in Nepal; which demands greater conservation efforts be made to meet its specific needs. Additionally the park is the only location in India where the parasitic Sapria Himalayana, a cousin of the Rafflesia, has been recorded in recent history. Most notably, however, the park houses the Namdapha Flying Squirrel, which is a member of two unfortunate lists- the Critically Endangered Species list of the IUCN as well as Re:wild’s Most Wanted Lost Species List. The squirrel is endemic to the park and has not been documented ever since its first and only sighting in 1981. It is thought to be restricted to a singular valley which exponentially increases its exposure to risk. It would not take a great deal for the species to go from critically endangered to extinct. The fact that it exists nowhere else in the world puts an immense onus upon the country for its preservation and said responsibility should be celebrated and welcomed.
Even geographically, the park has a unique role to play as it functions as a junction of the Indian Subcontinent biogeographic and the Indo-China biogeographic regions. Pertinently, it is also the sole conduit linking the fauna of the Indo-China to that of the Palearctic. The Himalayas, the Thar Desert and the Ocean in the south form such expansive barriers that this belt forms the only viable gateway for faunal exchange. The park has been on UNESCO’s tentative list for almost two decades and is long overdue for a deserved heritage site tag.
Khangchendzonga National Park is the lone mixed, cultural as well as natural, UNESCO heritage site in India while also being part of UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere programme. It too exhibits markedly high variation in altitudes and thereby displays high variation in types of vegetation and wildlife. It has one of the highest, if not the highest, number of plant and mammal species in the Central/High Asian mountains. Since the region is at such a great height it also has old growth or primary forests which have existed untouched for scores of years, if not centuries making the area all the more ecologically and spiritually valuable.
In Sikkim, the Khangchendzonga is considered sacred by the Buddhists and the Lepchas both as holy and hidden land. Few studies have depicted that biological diversity even impacts cultural diversity in humans which potentially implies that protecting the environment would have impacts not just on the wildlife but also on the human inhabitants of the area as well. The local communities are so inextricably intwined with the region that they even deal with the upkeep of those monuments in the areas that do not fall under the purview of the ASI.
The unique ecological and cultural significance of the Eastern Himalayan region makes all relevant state actors privileged wardens who must rise to their calling.
The writer is a Lawyer by profession. Views expressed are personal.
