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UWAHATI: After a recent poaching incident left an adult one-horned rhino dead in Kaziranga National Park, Unesco's World Heritage Committee
(WHC) has asked New Delhi to strengthen the anti-poaching mechanism by using better equipment in the park, which is 250 km from here on the southern banks of the Brahmaputra.
Though WHC expressed satisfaction over the conservation of Kaziranga, a World Heritage Site, and its adjoining reserved forest in Karbi Anglong district, the Unesco committee has categorically asked the Centre to increase efforts to prevent poaching by ensuring adequate financial and equipment support. The decision on Kaziranga, taken in June this year at the 33rd session of WHC in Seville, Spain, also emphasized on involvement of local communities to foil poaching bids. The documents of the session were made public this month.
Although WHC did not elaborate on equipment support required, wildlife conservationists and forest department officials here interpreted it as better firepower, adequate manpower and modern gadgets like night-vision tools among others. Presently, forest guards are only permitted to use .315 rifles to take on poachers. These are sports rifles an can hardly be classified as ammunition. Only home guards of Assam Police, now deployed in Kaziranga after a poaching spree in 2007, are allowed to use .303 rifles.
In the fifth Wildlife Board meeting on Wednesday, state environment and forest minister Rockybul Hussain said the government is trying hard to bring in amendments to the CrPC so that forest guards, like police, are also allowed to use fire arms against criminals. Chief minister Tarun Gogoi reiterated that his government has always given top priority to comprehensive protection of Kaziranga, including control of erosion by the Brahmaputra on the northern part of the park.
Hussain also told the meeting that the Assembly has already passed the Wildlife Protection Bill (Amendment), 2009, incorporating stringent measures, including raising the quantum of penalties against wildlife crimes. Poaching of rhinos for its horn has been a major challenge for the authorities of Kaziranga. However, despite the looming threat of poachers, this year the national park recorded 2048 rhinos in the latest population count. In 2006, Kaziranga had 1855 pachyderms.
"We can bring down the level of poaching, but cannot completely eradicate the menace. Kaziranga houses two-thirds of the world's one-horned rhino population, so the target of poachers will always be there," a senior park official said. This year, however, the level of poaching in Kaziranga has come down in comparison to last year. But, park officials warned that the present drop in poaching should be taken as only "a temporary lull before a storm" and that guards should remain alert for any eventuality.
Four rhinos were killed by poachers, while 11 attempts were foiled by the armed guards of Kaziranga between January and August this year. Between 2007 and 2008, at least 24 rhinos had been killed by poachers for its horns, which fetches high prices in Chinese markets where it is used in traditional medicines.
UWAHATI: After a recent poaching incident left an adult one-horned rhino dead in Kaziranga National Park, Unesco's World Heritage Committee
(WHC) has asked New Delhi to strengthen the anti-poaching mechanism by using better equipment in the park, which is 250 km from here on the southern banks of the Brahmaputra.
Though WHC expressed satisfaction over the conservation of Kaziranga, a World Heritage Site, and its adjoining reserved forest in Karbi Anglong district, the Unesco committee has categorically asked the Centre to increase efforts to prevent poaching by ensuring adequate financial and equipment support. The decision on Kaziranga, taken in June this year at the 33rd session of WHC in Seville, Spain, also emphasized on involvement of local communities to foil poaching bids. The documents of the session were made public this month.
Although WHC did not elaborate on equipment support required, wildlife conservationists and forest department officials here interpreted it as better firepower, adequate manpower and modern gadgets like night-vision tools among others. Presently, forest guards are only permitted to use .315 rifles to take on poachers. These are sports rifles an can hardly be classified as ammunition. Only home guards of Assam Police, now deployed in Kaziranga after a poaching spree in 2007, are allowed to use .303 rifles.
In the fifth Wildlife Board meeting on Wednesday, state environment and forest minister Rockybul Hussain said the government is trying hard to bring in amendments to the CrPC so that forest guards, like police, are also allowed to use fire arms against criminals. Chief minister Tarun Gogoi reiterated that his government has always given top priority to comprehensive protection of Kaziranga, including control of erosion by the Brahmaputra on the northern part of the park.
Hussain also told the meeting that the Assembly has already passed the Wildlife Protection Bill (Amendment), 2009, incorporating stringent measures, including raising the quantum of penalties against wildlife crimes. Poaching of rhinos for its horn has been a major challenge for the authorities of Kaziranga. However, despite the looming threat of poachers, this year the national park recorded 2048 rhinos in the latest population count. In 2006, Kaziranga had 1855 pachyderms.
"We can bring down the level of poaching, but cannot completely eradicate the menace. Kaziranga houses two-thirds of the world's one-horned rhino population, so the target of poachers will always be there," a senior park official said. This year, however, the level of poaching in Kaziranga has come down in comparison to last year. But, park officials warned that the present drop in poaching should be taken as only "a temporary lull before a storm" and that guards should remain alert for any eventuality.
Four rhinos were killed by poachers, while 11 attempts were foiled by the armed guards of Kaziranga between January and August this year. Between 2007 and 2008, at least 24 rhinos had been killed by poachers for its horns, which fetches high prices in Chinese markets where it is used in traditional medicines.
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