A total of 847 wild animals have been affected by floods in Assam over the past five years, with 511 reported dead, according to Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh.
Singh stated, “As per the information received from the State Government of Assam, a total of 847 wild animals were affected by floods in the state over the last five years, of which 336 animals were rescued successfully and 511 were reported as casualties.”
The Minister outlined the measures taken by the Assam State Government to protect and conserve wildlife during floods. These include awareness campaigns and meetings with residents in fringe areas to educate them on wildlife protection. Loudspeaker announcements are made in villages to inform residents about procedures if animals stray. Additional forest staff are deployed to patrol Kaziranga National Park and monitor vehicle speeds on Asian Highway 1 (NH-37) to prevent animal deaths due to collisions.
“Additional security forces from the police department are deployed in Golaghat, Nagaon, and Karbi Anglong districts to assist forest personnel with anti-poaching duties and help mitigate human-wildlife conflict during floods. District Transport Officers and Motor Vehicle Inspectors from Nagaon and Golaghat control vehicle speeds on NH-37, which runs along the edge of Kaziranga National Park,” Singh said.
He added that volunteers from non-governmental organizations and village defense parties monitor animal movements and help reduce vehicle speeds on NH-37. Thirty-three new highlands and road-cum-highlands have been created to provide elevated resting spaces for wild animals during floods, and vulnerable areas are barricaded. Heavy vehicles are prohibited from using NH-37 at night to ensure the safe movement of wild animals during floods.
Anti-poaching camps are equipped with country boats for regular monitoring and patrolling during floods. Each range has an emergency response team with mobile phones, wireless sets, traffic wands, and flashlights to regulate vehicular traffic and facilitate wildlife migration to higher ground. Flood monitoring cells and control rooms are established in all range offices and the division office in Bokakhat to monitor flood levels.
Flood level scales have been installed in Dhansirimukh and Difalumukh with support from the Central Water Commission to assess inundation levels. Animal sensor systems have been installed in six locations to monitor animal movement, and drones are used to trace movements in the Karbi Anglong hills.
“State Disaster Response Force is deployed to provide additional support during wild animal rescue operations and to ensure the safety of forest personnel inside the park. Staff from inundated and damaged camps are relocated to safer areas and engaged in patrolling the park’s periphery. Temporary camps are established at vulnerable sites frequented by wildlife to ensure their safety during migration,” Singh added.
According to the Kaziranga National Park Authority, this year’s floods resulted in the death of 215 wild animals, including 13 one-horned rhinos.
(With ANI Inputs)
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