Guwahati: With unabated rhino poaching in Kaziranga National Park (KNP) in Assam engineering mass outcry against the effectiveness of the conservation efforts, political parties in Assam have been compelled to make rhino poaching an election issue this general election.
Poachers have killed the rare one horned rhinos – the state animal and pride of Assam – not only in Kaziranga Park but also Manas National Park and Pobitora Wildlife sanctuary. As per official records 14 rhinos were killed in Assam parks the year 2012, 41 along in the KNP in the year 2013 and 15 so far in the state in this year.
There have been mass agitations in the state especially in Kaziranga National Park area by various NGOs, students and youth organisations demanding effective measures to protect the rhino. All these organisations have condemned the incumbent state government for failing to tame the poachers on the prowl.
Gauging the adverse mood of the people over frequent rhino poaching incidents, political parties in the state have decided to make it one of their election issues with promise to make efforts to address to the problem of rhino poaching in various measures.
The regional Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) in its poll manifesto said that it was necessary to expand areas of rhino habit in the state to protect the animal from poachers’ bullets. The party apparently believed that it was the stray rhinos that often fall prey to poachers.
The BJP in its manifesto underlined the need for revisiting the current measures being practiced from protection of faunal and floral resources and reserve forest areas in the state.
The ruling Congress has promised for tough measures to tackle the problem of rhino poaching. It said that the party’s government in the state had already taken some stern measures like arming forest guards with better weapons, motor boats etc. to give tough challenge to the poachers.
However, leading wildlife NGOs working in the field of conservation are of the view that anti-poaching measures must take people living in fringe areas of Kaziranga Park and other rhino habit into confidence as it was the fringe villagers who can help the forest staff immensely by providing actionable intelligence about movement of poachers.
Secretary general of Aaranyak, Dr B K Talukder commented that though the state government has made efforts to gear up vigil against rhino poachers who are desperate to kill the rhino for its horn that brings them huge money in the international illegal market of wildlife parts, engagement of various other stake holders including fringe area villagers in the efforts would go a long way in saving the rhino better.
A forest official engaged in anti-poaching operations in the KNP on the condition of anonymity said that the time had arrived to staff the wildlife park with younger and better trained personnel who are capable of effective handling of SLRs that are being provided to guard over the protected area.
He said that the old guards in the forest force were not efficient in handing sophisticated weapons.
