Guwahati: In an attempt to bring onus of protecting the precious one-horned rhinoceros of Kaziranga National Park directly to the state’s chief wildlife warden, Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal has directed the Environment ad Forest department to set up a permanent office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest at Kaziranga.
Environment and forest minister Pramila Rani Brahma said effective steps would be initiated to stop rhino poaching at Kaziranga National Park.
Brahma said that she would personally meet the people living on the fringes of the national park to create awareness on protecting the rhinos.
Sonowal also asked the Environment and Forest Department to prepare an action plan for generation of revenue to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore out of its own resources during the current financial year without causing any harm to the ecology.
He suggested online selling of the huge volume of seized timber lying at different forest beat offices.
Asserting ‘human beings survive only when trees exist’, Sonowal expressed concern over the fast depletion of the forest cover. “Awareness has to be created for preservation of state’s bio-diversity. Towards this end, the department must involve students living in 26,000 villages across the state in the conservation campaign to make it a success,” the CM said.
He instructed the Forest minister Pramila Rani Brahma to take slew of measures to restore denuded reserved forest areas by planting trees and create water bodies on the fringes to prevent illegal encroachment. Sonowal asked the department to submit the list of encroached forest land in the state.
He asked the department to formulate a scheme for plantation of one crore saplings. Sonowal also directed the department to make an in-depth study of the plant species that existed 300 years ago.
The CM suggested the department to examine the quality of sand which is considered a forest resource, ensure its proper utilisation in different sectors.
Sonowal said sand could be a money spinner for the department and given the boom in the construction sector there was a huge demand for forest resources. “The department has to work with a firm resolve to bring to an end all illegal business relating to forest resources,” he said.
Sonowal said the utilisation of the forest resources especially sand of Brahmaputra River by the Central and State Governments as well as the private sector in the construction sector would not only lead to revenue mobilisation but also increase volume of water flowing through tributaries of Brahmaputra river. He said the Central government was keen to making use of the sand of Brahmaputra river.
The CM stressed on the need to upgrade the reserved forest areas as tourist destinations. Sonowal asked the department to make a study for rearing fish in the water bodies located in the reserved forest areas. He asked the chief secretary to prohibit the use of fishing nets with smaller holes to protect fingerlings in the water bodies located in forest areas.
