Fund crunch may hit Kaziranga habitat

[Guest guest]

Link: http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=jan0307/at02

 

Fund crunch may hit Kaziranga habitat

 

By A Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Jan 2 †" The pristine habitat of Kaziranga National Park

with its invaluable biodiversity could be in danger in the near

future. Not so much from poachers or illegal settlers, but from

paucity of crucial funds to maintain the park.

 

A top official in the Department of Environment and Forests told The

Assam Tribune that management of the park, a world heritage site, has

become difficult with shortage of funds, which also are not provided

when most needed.

 

It was revealed that in the last three years Central Government funds

for the development of the Park has nose-dived. Significantly, the

funds are the prime source for carrying out all maintenance work

inside the park, which is home to several rare and endemic flora and

fauna.

 

“In 2006 only Rs 38 lakh was made available to the park. With this

amount the entire development effort had to be sustained, which is

simply not possible,†said the official.

 

According to wildlife managers, a park like Kaziranga with its vast

expanse of varied terrain and rich biodiversity requires an amount in

the region of Rs 1.5 crore for development work. Funds to the tune of

one crore is considered the bare minimum.

 

However, even though the fact is acknowledged in concerned quarters,

the flow of funds has come down in a marked manner.

 

Although in 2006 Rs 38 crore was received, the previous year it was

close to Rs 95 crore. Still one year earlier, in the ‘centenary year’

nearly Rs 1.5 crore was made available for development work.

 

As if the reduction of funds was not enough, there have also been

instances of funds being released late.

 

Another hurdle for the park’s development was sanctioned funds being

further reduced by the State Government. In 2006, the amount

sanctioned by the Central Government was Rs 48 crore, out of which 10

crore is yet to be released by the State Government, sources said.

 

The fund crunch has adversely affected the maintenance of roads †" a

tool for park management, camps and communication. The park’s

readiness to tackle floods would also be tested in the near future

because its bridges and water transport are in need of repair.

 

When contacted, managers of Asom’s best-known National Park did not

deny that funds indeed were getting scarce. “We have written to the

authorities to recognize the problem and take appropriate steps,†a

senior park official stated.

 

They believe unless funds are made available immediately, the park’s

development in the years ahead would entail a much larger inflow of

funds, which neither the State nor the Central Government would manage

to provide.