GUWAHATI, August 11: Now forest guards of Kaziranga National Park will have an edge over poachers!
The national park has become the first of its kind in the country to have been equipped with satellite phones, an official statement issued here on Wednesday said.
Chief secretary Jishnu Barua handed over ten satellite phones to the KNP forest personnel on Tuesday. The phones have been activated.
The decision to arm the forest personnel of the park, famous world over for the one-horned rhinos, with satellite phones was taken at a meeting chaired by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at KNP on May 27.
The step to equip the forest personnel with satellite phones was taken to boost anti poaching measures.
The satellite phones will be used in the park’s six ranges with no wireless or poor mobile connectivity.
According to the park authorities, KNP has become the first in the country to use satellite phones as this facility is generally used by the law enforcing agencies. The public is barred from using satellite phones in India.
The Assam State Disaster Management Authority has procured the ten satellite phones for the KNP at an estimated cost of Rs 16 lakh. BSNL will be the service provider. The park authorities will bear the monthly expenses.
Meanwhile, BSNL has trained the forest personnel in regard to operation of the satellite phones in shadow areas and grooves where mobile phones do not function.
“Communication bottlenecks will be removed with the use of satellite phones deep inside the park,” said a forest official.
State forest and environment minister Suklaibaidya thanked the chief minister for his prompt initiative in equipping the forest personnel with satellite phones.
“The satellite phones will be immensely useful for coordination. There shouldn’t be barriers to communication and hence using satellite phones is a necessity in KNP with a sprawling area. The satellite phones will give an edge to the forest personnel over the poachers and also during emergencies like floods,” Suklaibaidya said.
