GUWAHATI, July 22 - The forest department is working with full spirit to protect the wildlife in the Kaziranga National Park (KNP), Environment and Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya said at a webinar organised by PIB, Guwahati today.
The minister spoke how KNP and Tiger Reserve is battling floods and also about the government�s initiatives in that regard.
The topic of the webinar was �Rescue Operation of Wildlife in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve during floods.�
�In order to tackle the rising floods and to protect wildlife we have tried to put together rescue teams and boats well in advance. The 33 new highlands that had been constructed last year in addition to the existing highlands have helped the wildlife to take shelter during this crucial time of flood. Every year Kaziranga faces flood and this year it is the third phase of flood in Assam that is hitting the national park. The forest department is facing double whammy of protecting the animals in Kaziranga every year � from poachers and natural calamities,� he said.
Referring to the concerted efforts of the forest department using advanced equipment, the minister said the department was getting full support from the State and Central governments. He expressed gratitude to Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister of Environment and Forest for providing full support.
Ramesh Gogoi, DFO, KNP gave an overview of the floods in Kaziranga, highlighting the various measures taken by the forest department to rescue the animals in the national park. He informed the department is getting adequate support not only from the government but also from many national and international NGOs and local people.
Himanshu Shekhar, Editor, NDTV India spoke about the importance of SDG number 15 for Kaziranga and Assam. Dr Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, CEO, Aaranyak, spoke about the importance of the Karbi Anglong hills for Kaziranga during flood as those act as natural highlands.
