Lawachara National Park
Lawachara is a major national park and nature reserve in Bangladesh. The park is located at Kamalganj Upazila, Maulvi Bazar District in the northeastern region of the country. It is located within the 2,740 ha (27.4 km2) West Bhanugach Reserved Forest. Lawachara National Park covers approximately 1,250 ha (12.5 km2) of semievergreen forests of the Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests Biome and mixed deciduous forests of the Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Biome. The land was declared a national park by the Bangla esh government on July 7, 1996 under the Wildlife Act of 1974.
Geography and climate
Lawachara is about 160 km (99 mi) northeast of Dhaka and 60 km (37 mi) from Sylhet. It is 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from the town of Srimongal.[4] The terrain of Lawachara is undulating with scattered 10 to 50 m (33 to 164 ft) hillocks. Locally known as tila, the hillocks are primarily composed of Upper Tertiary soft sandstone. The park is crossed by numerous sandybedded streams (locally known as nallah), one of which is the Lawachara tributary, from which the park derived its name. The soil of Lawachara is alluvial brown sandy clay loam to clay loam dating from the Pliocene epoch. Shallow depressions filled with water (haor wetlands) are also a feature of the region as the lowlying areas are often subject to flooding. The climate of Lawachara is generally pleasant to warm, averaging at 26.8 °C (80.2°F) in February to 36.1 °C (97.0 °F) in June. The humidity is high throughout the year, and Lawachara experiences frequent rains with occasional cyclonic storms.
Geography and climate
There are about eighteen villages near Lawachara. Two of them
(Magurchara punji[12] and Lawachara punji) are located within the boundaries of the park. Indigenous peoples in the area include the Christian Khasia people, the Hindu Tripuri people, the Tipra people, and the Monipuri people. The rest of the population are mostly Muslim migrants from Noakhali, Comilla, and Assam. Registered forest villagers have certain rights within the reserve. This includes wood collection for fuel and building materials, hunting, betel leaf production, grazing of livestock, harvesting of other forest products, and limited agriculture in allocated land.
Environmental impacts
Explosions, conducted in Lawachara as a part of Chevron's survey, are claimed to frighten wildlife, making them leave the forest at an alarming rate. In May 7, 2008, a hoolock gibbon, in an attempt to flee, allegedly died after jumping onto an electric cable. Damage to residential buildings from the tremors induced by the explosions were also reported, as well as a fire caused by activities of the survey crew. Chevron failed to acknowledge both incidents.
Chevron's seismic exploration follows in the wake of the Magurchara gas field explosion on June 14, 1997, which destroyed 700 acres (2.8 km2; 1.1 sq mi) of the West Bhanugach Reserved Forest. Gas exploration in the area was then led by the Union Oil Company of California (Unocal), now a subsidiary of Chevron.
Lawachara is a major national park and nature reserve in Bangladesh. The park is located at Kamalganj Upazila, Maulvi Bazar District in the northeastern region of the country. It is located within the 2,740 ha (27.4 km2) West Bhanugach Reserved Forest. Lawachara National Park covers approximately 1,250 ha (12.5 km2) of semievergreen forests of the Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests Biome and mixed deciduous forests of the Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Biome. The land was declared a national park by the Bangla esh government on July 7, 1996 under the Wildlife Act of 1974.
Geography and climate
Lawachara is about 160 km (99 mi) northeast of Dhaka and 60 km (37 mi) from Sylhet. It is 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from the town of Srimongal.[4] The terrain of Lawachara is undulating with scattered 10 to 50 m (33 to 164 ft) hillocks. Locally known as tila, the hillocks are primarily composed of Upper Tertiary soft sandstone. The park is crossed by numerous sandybedded streams (locally known as nallah), one of which is the Lawachara tributary, from which the park derived its name. The soil of Lawachara is alluvial brown sandy clay loam to clay loam dating from the Pliocene epoch. Shallow depressions filled with water (haor wetlands) are also a feature of the region as the lowlying areas are often subject to flooding. The climate of Lawachara is generally pleasant to warm, averaging at 26.8 °C (80.2°F) in February to 36.1 °C (97.0 °F) in June. The humidity is high throughout the year, and Lawachara experiences frequent rains with occasional cyclonic storms.
Geography and climate
There are about eighteen villages near Lawachara. Two of them
(Magurchara punji[12] and Lawachara punji) are located within the boundaries of the park. Indigenous peoples in the area include the Christian Khasia people, the Hindu Tripuri people, the Tipra people, and the Monipuri people. The rest of the population are mostly Muslim migrants from Noakhali, Comilla, and Assam. Registered forest villagers have certain rights within the reserve. This includes wood collection for fuel and building materials, hunting, betel leaf production, grazing of livestock, harvesting of other forest products, and limited agriculture in allocated land.
Environmental impacts
Explosions, conducted in Lawachara as a part of Chevron's survey, are claimed to frighten wildlife, making them leave the forest at an alarming rate. In May 7, 2008, a hoolock gibbon, in an attempt to flee, allegedly died after jumping onto an electric cable. Damage to residential buildings from the tremors induced by the explosions were also reported, as well as a fire caused by activities of the survey crew. Chevron failed to acknowledge both incidents.
Chevron's seismic exploration follows in the wake of the Magurchara gas field explosion on June 14, 1997, which destroyed 700 acres (2.8 km2; 1.1 sq mi) of the West Bhanugach Reserved Forest. Gas exploration in the area was then led by the Union Oil Company of California (Unocal), now a subsidiary of Chevron.
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