Tangla: Residents of six villages in northeastern India have sought funds to maintain a forest they have created on a barren stretch of land on the Assam-Bhutan-Arunachal border.

The success of villagers has caught the attention of nature lovers.

Rampant illegal cutting of trees had left 22.24 sq km Bhairabkunda Reserve Forest without a tree by the early 1980s.

However, by 2016, a stretch of 5,500 bighas has emerged as a habitat for flora and fauna because of the efforts of the residents of six border villages

The initiative came from the Joint Forest Management Committee (JFMC).

An afforestation drive by the Forest Department in collaboration with the people of Sonaigaon, Bhairabpur, Goroimari, Sapangaon, No.1 Mazargaon and No. 2 Mazargaon, was started in April 2007.

Within five years, a man-made forest emerged, now known as Gedsimani Forest, at Sapangaon by planting of more than 14,00,000 saplings of various valuable species near the Dhansiri river, bordering Indo-Bhutan.

The villagers have now asked the federal and state governments to provide funds for maintaining the forest area, sentinelassam.com reported.

Wildlife lovers of Assam hope that the area can be developed as an ideal eco-tourism hub, provided the government develops infrastructure.

The regenerated forest land now has rich vegetation and it shelters wild animals and birds, besides various species of flora. A small river with several canals – a few of those man-made, runs throughout the forest.

With rivers crisscrossing the verdant Assam-Bhutan-Arunachal border and the Bhairabkunda Reserve Forest providing some undulating trekking trails, scope for scope for promoting tourism is enormous, local people say.

The man-made forest at present has wild animals like elephants, leopards, mongoose, python, deer, wild boar and various species of snakes. A breed of Paradise Flying Snake was also spotted in the forest last year.

Nature lovers say the arrival of the wild elephants is a good sign as the jungles can provide the pachyderms with fodder and water.Rapid destruction of forests had led to human-wild animal conflict that killed 83 people and 35 elephants in the district during 2012-2016.

They regret that government has sanctioned no funds for the maintenance of the forest since 2011. The villagers have been working without any remuneration since 2007.