More firepower for Kaziranga guards approved

The Assam authorities has approved a proposal to extend the hearth energy of, and supply commando coaching to, the guards of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.

The authorities has additionally sought the notification of all animal corridors, accelerated development of elevated street corridors by the park, and exploration of helicopter companies to and from the one-horned rhino habitat.

These choices had been taken at a gathering on flood preparedness, animal security and anti-poaching headed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on May 27.

According to the minutes of the assembly accessed by The Puucho, the variety of Ghatak (Indian-made Kalashnikov collection) rifles can be elevated for the 1,300 sq. km. Tiger Reserve’s guards and members of the Assam Forest Protect Force (AFPF).

All AFPF personnel and frontline employees utilizing trendy weapons can be educated on the Assam Police Commando Training Centre close to Guwahati regularly, the minutes signed by Dr. Sarma stated.

The perks for Kaziranga’s wildlife employees have additionally been made on par with the State police personnel. These embrace ₹2,000 monthly as ration allowance and enchancment of residing situations within the anti-poaching camps.

Kaziranga has 233 anti-poaching camps and satellite tv for pc telephones have been approved for 10 of the remotest that do not need cell phone connectivity for higher coordination among the many guards.

“There shall be zero tolerance to poaching,” the Chief Minister’s observe stated.

To give the forest protectors a police-like makeover, it was additionally determined to reconstitute a coordination committee of the Anti-Poaching Task Force headed by the Special Director-General of Police (Law and Order). A Deputy Superintendent of Police would even be positioned underneath the command of Kaziranga’s Field Director.

Vaccination for employees

There are 9 recognized animal corridors linking Kaziranga and the forested hills of Karbi Anglong district. The State authorities’s push for notifying these corridors follows a nudge from the Supreme Court’s Central Empowered Committee just a few weeks in the past for an motion taken report.

The authorities additionally sought COVID-19 vaccination for all of the frontline employees of Kaziranga and adjoining protected areas, apart from the vaccination of livestock within the fringe villages inside every week.

Among different proposals was the exploration of helicopter companies to extend vacationer influx to Kaziranga.

P. Sivakumar, the park’s Director, negated theories that this might result in an aerial safari. “This would be for air connectivity with the Guwahati airport,” he stated.