Guwahati: The three villages peripheral to Kaziranga National Park (KNP) which were cleared of encroachers on September 19 last are set to be added to the national park area, as per its expansion plan.
A senior forest official in the KNP informed that forest department has prepared a proposal to be submitted before Assam government, to include the area under three villages — Bandardubi, Palkhowa and Deuchurnchang –just cleared of encroachers to be added to the park area as seventh and eighth additions.
He said area under Bandardubi and Palkhowa would be seventh addition to the Park while the area of the village Deuchurchang would be the eighth addition. The state government which has shown keen interest for proper preservation of the park and stepped anti-poaching measures, is expected to clear the proposal in no time.
On September 19 last 168 families from Bandardubi, 115 families from Deuchurchang and 12 families from Palkhowa were evicted by the administration as per Gauhati High Court’s directive to clear animal corridors near Kaziranga National Park from animal corridors. Two persons were killed during the eviction drive as police had to use force to disperse a mob of villagers at Deuchurchang that attacked the police force and eviction squad.
About 83 square kilometer of the 430 square kilometer core area of the KNP has been eroded away by Brahmaputra River. The authorities have already demarcated six additions to the national park for its expansion upto over 800 square kilometers. Now, inclusion of the proposed seventh and eights additions will increase the park area to over 1000 square kilometer.
The KNP has a treasure trove over 2000 one-horned rhinoceros, over 1200 elephants, over 1900 wild buffaloes, over 80 Royal Bengal Tigers and over 650 swamp deer besides other animals, reptiles and birds. Numerous wetlands dotting the landscape of Kaziranga Park’s grassland are breeding ground of verities of fish and other aquatic species.
