Assam floods: Kaziranga on alert, 25 rescue boats kept ready

GUWAHATI: Forest staff at the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) have been put on high alert and boats are ready to launch a rescue operation as floodwaters have reportedly started seeping into the park through the central Assam zone.
Considering the enormity of the floods, activists have demanded urgent intervention of the government to free all animal corridors of construction activities.
State forest minister Parimal Suklabaidya, who is closely monitoring the flood situation in the parks and sanctuaries, on Wednesday said that the department is fully geared up to deal with any eventuality. The state forest department has created around 40 highlands for providing shelter to animals to escape from the rising waters.
“The highlands have been designed scientifically with provisions for adequate grass, and plants yielding fruits such as elephant apple and Indian gooseberry,” said Suklabaidya.
He further informed that more than 25 boats are ready for rescue of animals in Kaziranga. The Unesco world heritage site bears the brunt of the floods every year.
KNPTR director, Jatin Sharma, said the park now has a total of 144 man-made highlands, including 33 large shelters for housing animals. “We have built an 8.5 km long road-cum-highland for providing shelter to animals during floods and for patrolling," he said.
During the monsoon when the entire Kaziranga park is flooded, the animals move to the higher ground of neighbouring Karbi Anglong hills in the southern direction to save themselves from drowning.
Wildlife activists are alarmed at this year's pre-monsoon floods and urged for immediate action to secure and protect all the nine identified animal corridors. “The consequences of choking corridors will prevent the movement of animals between Kaziranga and the forests of Karbi Anglong, which are critical feeding grounds for the herbivores,” said activist Rohit Choudhury.
He urged the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee to direct the state government to urgently notify 44.205 km of the identified wildlife corridors.
The state government and the forest department earned flak from the CEC earlier this year for failing to make the nine animal corridors in Kaziranga free of alleged encroachment.