The authorities at Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve in Assam are fully prepared to handle any situation during floods, ensuring the safety of the park's animals.
They have installed vehicular speed sensor cameras along National Highway 37, passing through the park, and employed various technologies for enhanced monitoring.
In addition to male frontline staff, approximately 150 women frontline staff are actively engaged in protecting wildlife at Kaziranga.
Sonali Ghosh, the field director, noted their readiness, stating "The park authorities have made all preparedness to ensure safety and security of wild animals of the park during flood season."
"In Kaziranga, the flood is a very important aspect because a good flood is also helpful for Kaziranga landscape. But at the same time, the migration of wild animals has also happened from Kaziranga to higher grounds in Karbi Anglong. For this year also, we are prepared. There are nine designated corridors from where the animals are regularly crossing. We have put additional frontline staff there. We have used technologies including vehicular speed sensor cameras on the National Highway - 37 so that we can minimize road accidents with wild animals. Our frontline staff are continuously engaged in anti-poaching activities and doing their duties round the clock. We have provided them country boats, life jackets, raincoats and whatever is required," Sonali Ghosh added.
She also noted that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited on June 15 for a review meeting on flood preparedness, issuing directives.
"We started the awareness camps to make the involvement of youths, the local community from April itself. In April, we clean our corridor areas and remove plastics with the help of NSS students. After that, we have done flood preparation meetings with the line departments and involved communities. We have also the flood volunteers and we trained them. We have sufficient numbers of highlands inside the park," Sonali Ghosh said.
Highlighting the role of women frontline staff, she said, "Last year, the state recruited over 2,500 frontline personnel, including 300 women who underwent induction training at Dergaon's police training center. They are integral to anti-poaching, frontline duties, and eco-development."
"A committee has been constituted which is headed by the PCCF and Chief Wildlife Warden of the state and it has Water Resources department, other experts, biologist. This committee is going to assess what extent the erosion and what should be the measures to take up," she concluded.
