Assam's 1st dedicated Grass Nursery inaugurated in Manas National Park
Guwahati, June 8
In a major step towards securing the future of Assam's endangered grassland ecosystems, the State's first dedicated grass nursery was inaugurated at Bansbari Range of Manas National Park.
Developed over an area of approximately 1 hectare (7.5 bigha) with financial support from State CAMPA, the nursery will serve as a long-term seed source for grassland restoration and expansion across Manas and other protected areas of Assam.
The nursery was inaugurated by Vinay Gupta, IFS, PCCF (Wildlife) & Chief Wildlife Warden, Assam on Sunday, in the presence of Suman Mohapatra, IFS, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, H Rajamohan, IFS, Field Director, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (Uttar Pradesh), C Ramesh, IFS, Field Director, Manas Tiger Reserve, T Sheshidhar Reddy, IFS, Deputy Director, Manas Tiger Reserve, and other senior forest officials.
A total of 16 species of native grasses were collected from different habitats within Manas beginning in November 2025 and raised in specially prepared nursery beds.
C Ramesh, IFS, Field Director, Manas Tiger Reserve, said that the nursery was established in May 2026 and is expected to play a critical role in supporting large-scale ecological restoration efforts.
"The initiative comes at a crucial time for Manas. Recent assessments indicate that the reserve has lost over 60 per cent of its historical grassland cover during the last three and a half decades. Grasslands that once covered approximately 384 sq. km (45% of the landscape) in 1990 have declined to about 155 sq. km (18%) today, primarily due to invasive species, woodland encroachment, altered river dynamics and prolonged interruption of habitat management in earlier decades," Dr C Ramesh said.
He further said that these alluvial grasslands form the ecological backbone of Manas and support globally threatened wildlife, including the Pygmy Hog, Bengal Florican, Hispid Hare, One-horned Rhinoceros, Wild Water Buffalo, Swamp Deer, Asian Elephant and Tiger. It is estimated that nearly 6 sq. km of grassland is lost annually, underscoring the urgent need for restoration interventions.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Vinay Gupta, IFS, CWLW (Assam) stated that restoration of grasslands is among the highest conservation priorities for Manas National Park.
"The newly established grass nursery will ensure a sustainable supply of native grass species required for habitat restoration, invasive species management and recovery of critical wildlife habitats," he said.
The initiative marks another important milestone in Manas' ongoing efforts to restore one of Asia's most important riverine grassland ecosystems and secure the ecological integrity of the UNESCO World Heritage Site for future generations.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Great initiative! Losing 60% grassland in 35 years is alarming. But I hope this isn't just a photo-op for officials. We need long-term monitoring and community involvement — local villagers can be trained to maintain the nursery and help with invasive species removal. Grasslands are our heritage too! 🌿🐘
Impressive work by Assam Forest Department and CAMPA. The 6 sq km annual loss of grassland is scary — that's like losing a small town every year. But let's also talk about the human-elephant conflicts that arise when grasslands shrink. Restoring habitat benefits both wildlife and farmers. 👏
This is a step in right direction. Manas is a UNESCO World Heritage site and its grasslands are crucial for Bengal Florican and Hispid Hare too. One thing though — why did they take from Nov 2025 to May 2026 to set up just 1 hectare nursery? With climate change speeding up habitat loss, we need faster action. Still, congratulations to the team! 🌾
Very good news for Assam's wildlife. But I wish the article mentioned how many local jobs this nursery creates. Grassland restoration can employ many youth from nearby villages — nursery maintenance, seed collection, invasive plant removal. Conservation should also mean livelihood generation for local communities.
Proud moment for us Assamese! Manas is our pride. The fact that they collected seeds from within the park itself shows ecological sensitivity. Using native species is key — planting exotic grasses would have been disastrous. Now let's replicate this in Kaziranga and other grasslands too!
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