Guwahati: In a bid to stop the killing of the one-horned rhino, a Rhino Protection Force, with more than 1,200 personnel, would be raised for protection of rhinos in the state, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said.
The state government has already sent a proposal to the Union Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change and the protection force will be formed very soon, Gogoi said during a review meeting on anti-poaching measures and other related issues held at Kaziranga National Park on Thursday.
Lauding the untiring efforts of the field staff in protection of Kaziranga, Gogoi said modern technology will be used extensively to curb the menace of poaching.
He also suggested several measures to be taken up by the Forest department, park authorities and the district administration concerned for protection of the world heritage site.
Funds would not be a constraint for upscaling anti-poaching infrastructure. High-end equipment such as night vision devices, thermal scanners, surveillance cameras, GPS to be deployed at the earliest, he said.
He also directed the district authorities to sanitise the bordering areas adjoining the Kaziranga National Park by deploying young and energetic commando force.
Gogoi further said a Chief Minister’s Gallantry Award would be instituted for security guards for their exemplary services on anti-poaching.
He also asked the park authorities to take the National Investigating Agency’s help to deal with rhino poachers and bust its trade routes across inter-state and international borders.
As many as 220 rhinos have been killed by poachers in Kaziranga since 2001.
The Assam government has over years increased the number of park security staff from 49 in 1967 to 562 in 2001. More than 430 Assam Forest protection Force (AFPF) personnel have also been deployed in the park since 2013.
Similarly, penalties have been enhanced under the amended Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
(With inputs from NewsMobile State Bureau)