(IN): Assam Rhino Crisis More manpower for Kaziranga

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Link:

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070419/asp/northeast/story_7664325.asp

 

Guwahati, April 18: Following pressure from various quarters, Dispur

today directed authorities to send at least 50 people and additional

homeguards to the Kaziranga National Park to meet the manpower

crisis.

 

The killing of six rhinos in Kaziranga in a month has put the park

authorities under severe criticism, forcing the government to act

immediately.

 

The number of rhinos killed over the past month is the highest in

the past five years.

 

" It will take some time to send at least 50 people to the park

though we are trying our best to do the job fast. A decision has

been taken to send them promptly, " a senior forest official said.

 

The government has also decided to send two additional companies of

armed homeguards to provide more security to the park.

 

Secretary general of Aaranyak, Bibhab Talukdar, described this as

only a stop-gap measure. " The attempt should be to recruit young

blood at the frontline staff as there has been no recruitment for

more than a decade now, " he added.

 

" The field staff is old and many of them are injured. With this, it

is just not possible to fight the well-armed poachers, " a forest

official said.

 

According to a 2006 census, the total number of rhinos in Kaziranga

is 1,855, while the population was 1,552 and 1,164 in 1999 and 1993

respectively.

 

A well-developed intelligence network is crucial to learn about the

movement of the poachers. However, there is no money to pay the

informers. A minimum of Rs 1,000 is required even for a small

information and the risk that the information is not credible is

also high.

 

" It requires a skilled team to track down the poachers as one must

know their modus operandi and the weapons they use, " the official

said.

 

Sources said the Wildlife Crime Bureau, Assam, which was set up in

2004, does not have firepower and vehicles and is in reality " ill-

prepared to fight " the poachers.

 

Aaranyak yesterday requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take

steps to strengthen the anti-poaching teams at Kaziranga.

 

The NGO appealed to Singh to direct the state government to get an

explanation from the Assam police on their failure to check the

movement of illegal arms inside the park.

 

" Assam police should be directed to take wildlife crime to the top

of their agenda, " the memorandum said.