Team NE India Broadcast was on a tour to North Lakhimpur in Assam this week. North Lakhimpur is naturally beautiful. The roads seem well planned and adequate security is deployed across the streets. It is also a nice place for the attraction of tourists.
From Majuli it takes 1 hour 35 minutes, from the Kaziranga National Park it takes more than 5 hours, two hours from Dibrugarh, Tinsukia be 3 hour, it takes 4 hour 29 minute historical district of Assam’s Sivasagar, 3 hour 9 minute Jorhat and 4 hour Pasighat (Arunachal Pradesh). North Lakhimpur is also called the gateway of Arunachal Pradesh.
According to government resources, the name Lakhimpur is believed to be originated from the word Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity. The district is mainly dependent upon agriculture and paddy. Paddy is regarded locally as Lakhimi. The word pur means full. Lakhimpur therefore means full of paddy or the place where paddies are grown abundantly. Besides, the soil of the district is alluvial and fertile for which crops flourish without use of any artificial manure or hard labour. Over and above fish, meat, vegetables, milk were abundant in this district. Others say that the word originated from Lakhsmi Devi, the mother of Bhuyan Raja who was the descendent of King Arimatta.
As per Lakhimpur District Gazette (1976:4) , the district was notified as Lakhimpur District through a proclamation issued by then Governor General on July, 1839. On 2nd October, 1971 the district was reorganized with two sub divisions viz. Dhemaji and North Lakhimpur . Later it was again reorganized in the year 1989 with two subdivisions viz. Dhakuakhana and North Lakhimpur leaving Dhemaji as a separate district. The district was earlier regarded as ” Koliapani” because there was practically no road communication to this district till 1950. In the year 1954, the temporary aerodrome was started. From 1957 the ASTC buses started plying from Lakhimpur and from 1963 the North East Frontier Railway started train services from this district.
Lakhimpur is also called one of the oldest district of Assam. The district is divided into two sub divisions viz. North Lakhimpur and Dhakuakhana.
Forests of the district are mainly tropical rain forest. The important reserved forests of the district are Ranga Reserve, Kakoi Reserve, Dulung Reserve and Pava Reserve . The varieties of tree species grown in the forest area are Hollock (Terminalia Myriocarpa) , Urium (Bichotia Jauvanica), Nahar (Mesua Ferrea), Ajhar (lagerstroemia speciosa), Simolu (Bombax ceiba/Salmalia Malabarica), Sum (Machilus), Sualu , Gomari (gmelina orborea), Sissoo (Dalbergia Sissoo), Jutuli (Altingia excelsa), Silikha (Terminalia Chebula), Neem (Azadirachta Indica), Sopa (Magnolia) etc. The river Subansiri has legends of gold washing, but now there is no major exploration of minerals in this district. There is now only some minor exploration for petroleum by ONGC in Dhakuakhana Sub-division. Also, with the increase of human population and large-scale deforestation of existing forest, the wild animal of various species are dwindling due to loss of habitat etc. Presently wild elephants, buffaloes, tigers, deer, wild cat, jackal are seen in the forest area. Varieties of bird species are available in swampy areas. Many migratory birds come every year to the various part of the district.
