Assam: Anti-Rhino Poaching Task Force Brainstorms Strategies for Kaziranga National Park

GUWAHATI: The second meeting of the Anti-Rhino Poaching Task Force was held at Kaziranga on Thursday.

The meeting was chaired by IPS Spl, DGP, Harmeet Singh. Senior Police officials including IGPs (STF) & (CR), SPs of Rhino bearing areas, and Senior Forest officials including Field Director Kaziranga and other Directors & DFOs attended the meeting.

The key agenda of the meeting was to review the existing rhino protection measures, Forest- Police coordination, deployment of existing Forest Protection Forces, and strengthening of the intelligence networks.

Presentations were made by Forest and Police officials from the 4 Rhino-bearing areas.

The Key recommendations of the Committee were as follows:

• With the increase in the Rhino population due to concerted efforts of the Government of Assam, Rhinos are increasingly venturing into newer areas, including Bura Chapori and Majuli, as seen over the last 2 years. The Task Force recommended that the vulnerability of the newer areas be mapped and measures identified including setting up of Forest Camps and Patrolling Routes.

• The Task Force also recommended including additional members in the Committee - IGPs (CR, NR, ER), DFOs from Nagaon, Golaghat, Jorhat territorial divisions, and the Commandants of the Assam Forest Protection Force) for greater coordination and strengthening of the surveillance.

• Regular coordination meetings in all Rhino-bearing areas were recommended to be conducted at the District level, so as to increase operational capabilities.

• Additionally, the meeting thanked all stakeholders for their commitment to the cause of protecting the State’s wildlife, as envisioned by the Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma.

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