Assam seeks special force to protect rhinos in Kaziranga

Guwahati: With rhino poachers creating havoc in the abode of the animal at Kaziranga National Park, Assam government has sent a proposal to the Union government for raising a Rhino Protection Force with
more than 1200 personnel while NIA’s help would be sought to bust the interna-tional rhino-poaching racket.
Poachers have killed at least five rhinos in the KNP so far this year while over 40 rhinos were killed last year.Attending a review meeting on the anti-poaching measures and other related issues at Kohora Range of Kaziranga National Park (KNP), Chief minister Tarun Gogoi said that his government has already sent a proposal to the Union Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change and hoped that the new force would be raised very soon.
Gogoi said such a specialised force would facilitate use of modern technology for curbing the menace of poaching. For up scaling anti-poaching infrastructure, high end equipment such as night vision devices, thermal scanners, surveillance cameras, GPS etc. would be deployed at the earliest.
Gogoi asked Kaziranga park authorities to take the help of the National Investi-gating Agency (NIA) to deal with the rhino poachers and bust clandestine rhino-horn trade routes across inter-state and international borders.
Chief Minister’s Gallan-try Award would be institu-ted for the forest guards showing exemplary services
in curbing poaching of rhinos.
Also Chief Minis-ter’s Awards for Wildlife Conservation would be instituted from this year for exemplary services rende-red in the field of wildlife conservation and ant- poaching activities.
He announced that he would soon constitute a Development Authority for the Kaziranga Landscape under his Chairmanship to address the issues of conservation and develop-ment. He said that the local people should be provided green development oppor-tunities and livelihood options in tune with wildlife
conservation.
He announced that a state of the art Interpre-tation Centre and Wildlife Museum with modern 3D shows, tea tourism and tea museum to be taken up in Kaziranga Park.He asked the Park authorities to explore possibilities of pro-moting off season tou-rism through eco-tourism and traditional activities such as weaving handicraft etc.