(IN): Green bodies take Govt to task over wildlife protection

October 4, 2007

*Green bodies take Govt to task over wildlife protection*

By A City Correspondent

GUWAHATI, Oct 3 – The total number of rhinos killed in the last nine months

in the Kaziranga National Park alone stands at 18, forest areas encroached

as per Government records – 1744.89 sq km in 1986, 2192.09 sq km in 1991 and

2680.63 sq km in 2000. Welcome to the 53rd Wildlife Week, which the State

Government is celebrating with an elaborate agenda from Monday.

Wildlife and environmental organisations alleged that the State Govt was

doing little to stop encroachment in to the forests and improve the

infrastructure to protect wildlife.

Natures Beckon, Early Birds, Megamix, Natures Bonnyapran, Green Heritage and

other environmental organisations observed a 12-hour hunger strike

protesting against the rampant encroachment and poaching in the National

Parks and wildlife sanctuaries. An estimated 70 to 80 elephants, 8 to 10

tigers, 20 to 30 leopards and other wild animals are being killed annually

and many killings of the creatures of the wild go undocumented.

The environmental organisations, taking the Government to task for

neglecting the infrastructure of the National Parks and sanctuaries,

asserted that when the Government had failed to protect the globally popular

rhino at its sanctified habitat, the Kaziranga National Park, it had no

moral right to beat the drum about its wildlife protection success stories.

Members of the organizations pointed out that lack of sincerity on the part

of the Government to protect wildlife was evident from the poor

infrastructure in the National parks and sanctuaries. " At present there are

6700 persons engaged in the forest areas. Around 750 posts are lying vacant.

An area of 3.5 sq km falls in the hand of one person, which is not easy.

This picture says enough about the infrastructure in the protected areas of

the State, " said Moloy Baruah of Early Birds.

Demanding of the Government to save the forests and the life it shelters,

the activists stressed that the proposed sanctuaries – Deepor Beel and

Bordaimbam Beelmukh – should get their recognition at the earliest.

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Fight captive Jumbo abuse, end Elephant Polo

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