Steps to develop Bogamati as tourist spot urged

GORESWAR, Jan 3 – Though the tourism departments of both of the governments of Assam as well as Bodoland Terroritorial Council (BTC), Kokrajahr, have not paid much attention towards the infrastructural development of a scenic place like Bogamati to develop it as a tourist spot till date, picnickers still throng the place daily from remote places of Assam in groups from mid-December to January.

Bogamati is located in the Indo-Bhutan border area 30 km off Goreswar. It lies between two hill ranges and the foothills of the Bhutan border. The Bogamati hilly area lies in the newly created Baksa district.

Communication is easy through the Baihata Chariali-Goreswar-Sukla-Uporkhuti PWD road and the Nagrijuli-Ambarish Nagar PWD road. It is situated 5 km away from Ambarish Nagar bazar chowk. These two PWD roads are completely pitched. While there is no such suitable pitched PWD road just around 12 km from Uporkhuti (Bholajhar) to Bogamati except a PWD road without sand gravel. On the other hand, it has no wooden bridge over the Deusunga river but all kinds of vehicles can cross it easily particularly during the winter season. There are no settlers near the Bogamati area since many years.

The Bogamati hilly area is endowed with a fascinating natural scenery. It is a nature lover’s paradise. However, it is yet to be explored as a tourist project either by the authorities concerned of the Assam government or BTC government, Kokrajhar till date.

The Bogamati hill resort offers some most breath-taking beautiful sights. There is a river which originates from one of the Bhutan hills located 15 km away and it flows through two ridges of the hills. It divides itself into three tributaries — Mala, Deusunga and Jabra (Puthimari) and their banks covered with soft white sand.

The adjacent Bogamati area covers around 4½ square km with green shrubs. The land stretching on south-west side of the rivers are completely plain and high, compared to the agricultural lands. The soil’s colour is black and are deemed to be best suitable for gardening.

This correspondent while visiting the area recently found that there was no proper road either from Ambarish Nagar bazar and Uporkhuti Bholajhar to Bogamati. This portion of the road needs urgent repair with necessary wooden or concrete bridges for better surface communication to Bogamati.

Besides, the Barnali, wildlife sanctuary, Rajagaon in Udalguri district of BTAD which is quite famous for its rare fauna like pigmy hog, horn-bill, elephant, bison, partridge etc lies 8-10 km on the eastern part of Bogamati and southern part of the river Barnadi.

Unfortunately there is no direct PWD road from Boagamati to Barnadi wildlife sanctuary now except Uporkhuti-Atharighat-Dimakuchi PWD road.

Meanwhile, Biswajit Daimary, MP(RS), and with the BTAD authorities have proposed to construct three agricultural bunds namely, Jabra, Mala and Bogamati soon at a cost of Rs 9.96 crore with a view to make Bogamati more beautiful and a potential tourist project. Daimary stated this in the open meet of the Suklai Serfang block BPF held recently at Bongalipara in Baksa district.

sinlung.com