In a move to strengthen conservation efforts of the one-horned rhinoceros at Kaziranga National Park (KNP) in Assam, the state government has decided to soon raise a special protection force, termed as 'Rhino Protection Force', to keep vigil in the famed park.
The protection force will have more than 1,200 personnel and the state government has already sent a proposal to the Union ministry of environment and forests.
After attending a review meeting on the anti-poaching measures and other related issues of KNP, Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi said the force will take shape "very soon". The chief minister said that modern technology would be vigorously used to curb the menace of poaching.
He also suggested a slew of measures to be taken up by the state forest department, the KNP authorities and the concerned district administration for the protection of the World Heritage Site. For up scaling anti-poaching infrastructure, high end equipments such as night vision devices, thermal scanners, surveillance cameras, GPS etc. would also be deployed.
Gogoi said that fund would not be a constraint for protection of the rhino. Gogoi also directed the district administration to sanitise the bordering areas adjoining the Park by deploying young and energetic commando force. He announced that Chief Minister's Gallantry Award would be instituted for the security guards for showing exemplary services on anti poaching.
He also asked the park authorities to take the help of the National Investigating Agency to deal with the rhino poachers and bust its trade routes across inter-state and international borders. Direction has also been given to erect watch posts in vulnerable areas and put to use modern surveillance equipment including high surveillance camera to check intrusion of poachers and monitoring the Park boundary in sensitive areas such Agoratoli and Burapahar ranges.
Gogoi further said that he was already in touch with several public sector undertakings for getting corporate social responsibilities funding for modernisation of anti-poaching infrastructure in the Park. He directed the director of KNP to prepare suitable project proposals for the same.
Expressing his assertion in dealing with poachers, Gogoi stressed that the Assam government would provide modern arms and fighting gears to the front line forest guards in Kaziranga, by amending the existing provisions of law.
