Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR)

About Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR)

• Location: It lies in the Alipurduar sub-division of the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal.
• Its northern boundary runs along the international border with Bhutan.
• The Sinchula hill range lies all along the northern side of BTR, and the eastern boundary touches that of Assam State. 
• It got its name from Buxa Fort, which is located on the Sinchula Range at an altitude of 867 meters.
• The fragile "Terai Eco-System" constitutes a part of this reserve.
• It serves as an international corridor for elephant migration between India and Bhutan.
• Two rivers, namely the River Raidak and the River Jayanti, flow through the forest of Buxa. 
• Vegetation: The forests of the reserve can be broadly classified as the ‘Moist Tropical Forest’ of Champion and Seth’s (1968) recent classification.
• Flora: Some of the important species are Sal, Champa, Gamar, Simul, and Chikrasi.
• Fauna: The main species include the Tiger, elephant, leopard cat, gaur, wild boar, sambar, hog deer, Chinese pangolin, etc.

Q1) What is the National Green Tribunal (NGT)?

The National Green Tribunal, established in 2010, as per the National Green Tribunal Act is a specialized judicial body equipped with expertise solely for the purpose of adjudicating environmental cases in the country. The Tribunal is tasked with providing an effective and expeditious remedy in cases relating to environmental protection, conservation of forests and other natural resources and enforcement of any legal right relating to the environment. The Tribunal’s orders are binding and it has power to grant relief in the form of compensation and damages to affected persons.

Source: Jumbo deaths: NGT seeks affidavits in four weeks