GUWAHATI, March 12 � In all, 14 rhinos were killed in the national parks and other forest areas of the State by poachers in 2009. This was stated by Environment and Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain in the State Assembly today in reply to a starred question from Drupad Bargohain (CPI). The Minister also said in reply to the same question, that the present strength of frontline staff in the Kaziranga National Park is insufficient.
The Minister said that of the rhinos killed by the poachers last year, six each were killed in Kaziranga National Park (KNP) and Orang National Park, while one each was killed in the Dibrugarh and Karbi Anglong Divisions of the Forest Department during the year.
He also told the House that the total strength of officers and staff in the KNP is 562 out of which 386 are frontline staff posted in 152 camps inside the National Park. This strength has remained unchanged for the last 20 years in spite of the fact that the area of the KNP has become double as well as its rhino population has also grown from 1,069 to 2,201 during the period.
That is why the present strength of frontline staff in the National Park is not sufficient to protect the rhinos and other wild animals.
The Government has recently recruited and posted 34 forest �I, 66 forest guards or game watchers, eight mahuts, and 35 grass cutters against the vacant posts in the National Park. Almost all the the old and ailing staff have been replaced by physically fit staff from other divisions and 170 armed home guards and 42 jawans of Assam Forest Protection Force have already been deployed in the KNP to assist the staff in protection duty.
Another 200 frontline staff are being deputed to the KNP from the neighbouring divisions to further strengthen the hands of the frontline staff there. Process of raising a new Assam Forest Protection Force Battalion is also on. This battalion will be exclusively deployed in wildlife areas to protect rhinos and other wild animals, said the Minister.
He also clarified that by and large all the fringe villagers of KNP do not support rhino poaching. However, it is a fact that few fringe villagers of the KNP are involved in rhino poaching and they provide shelter to the poachers coming from distant places, said the Minister.
Mega dams� impact: State Government admitted that the fish population in the rivers on which the mega hydel projects are built, are affected by the sudden release of water from the dams and during the interim periods of relative dryness.
This admission came from Environment and Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain in reply to a starred question from Dr Alaka Sarma (AGP).
However, the Minister said in reply to another part of the question that the project implementing agencies used to study the impacts of the mega dams at the preparation stage of the projects.
The clearance to such projects is given by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests after assessing the impact and spelling out the remedial measures for adverse impacts.
The findings of such impact assessment studies are site specific and differ from project to project, said the Minister.
