News

Centre okays use of drones for vigilance in Kaziranga National Park

by IBNS 09 Feb 2017, 08:59 pm

Guwahati, Feb 10 (IBNS) : To check the fast growing killing spree ofone- horned rhinoceros in Kaziranga National Park (KNP), the Assam forest department will now use drones for vigilance in the world heritage site.

Assam Forest Minister Pramila Rani Brahma, who is also known as the 'Forest Queen of Assam' for her activities, said  the Union Government has given permission to use drones for vigilance in the national park.

Earlier, the  Assam Government had sent a letter to the Union Home Ministry and sought permission  to use drones in Kaziranga following rhino killing incidents.

"Finally, the Centre has permitted us to use drones. The Assam forest department has taken initiatives to step up vigilance in the national park to protect wild animals, including rhinos and to check poaching inside or outside the park. We have decided to install several high focusing light posts nearby the highways," the Fores Minister said.

Brahma further said the state forest department will recruit over 1200 forest guards specially for Kaziranga National Park by March next.

According to the state Government data, Kaziranga has lost 93 one- horned rhinos because of poaching between 2011 and  2016.

During this period, poachers killed 147 rhinos across the state.

On the other hand, the security forces apprehended 516 poachers from different areas of the state from 2011 to January 2017.


(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)