Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Visits Flood Hit Kaziranga National Park

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday visited the flood affected Kaziranga National Park in upper Assam and ordered setting up of a coordination committee for wild life protection.

Undertaking an extensive visit within 20 km radius of rhino habitat Kaziranga National Park (KNP) in its Bagori Range, Mr Sonowal assessed the impact of the current wave of floods on the World Heritage Site and its flora and fauna.

The Chief Minister directed to form a coordination committee involving Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents Police and Divisional Forest Officers of five districts with a mandate to maintain close vigil on the movement of animals and their probable threats from poachers during the floods.

Taking stock of the prevailing flood situation and its resultant damage in KNP, Mr Sonowal took a boat ride to oversee the extent of damage in Bagori Range, and said the Coordination Committee involving functionaries of five districts of Nagaon, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong, Sonitpur and Biswanath will report to the Forest minister on a day to day basis on the flood situation and protection measures being adopted for the animals.

Ms Sonowal asked the DCs and SPs of Nagaon, Golaghat and Karbi Anglong to take stringent action against possible attempt of poaching.

He also asked the Environment and Forest Department to provide fodder and medical attention to the animals taking shelter on high lands.

While visiting the flood affected areas of Kaziranga, the Chief Minister interacted with the forest guards on duty.

Later on holding a meeting at Bagori, Mr Sonowal asked the civil and police administration to be innovative and find ways and means to provide protection to animals in Kaziranga and asked the forest guards to be on high alert to thwart any poaching attempts.

He also asked the Veterinary and Forest department to fortify the highlands and plant saplings on them.

During the meeting, Mr Sonowal directed Health and Public Health Engineering departments of the districts concerned to spray DDT at the flood affected areas and provide halogen tablets to the affected people. He also asked power company APDCL to check electric wires and transformers to prevent accidents.

Directing the DCs to reach out to the affected people on a daily basis and allot land to those affected by erosion, Mr Sonowal said steps have already been taken to repair minor breaches on embankments.

Regarding NEEPCO's release of water from its power dam, which has caused flooding in several areas, the chief minister said the state government has taken up the matter with the North East Electric Power Corporation and impressed upon it not to repeat it further.

Earlier, Mr Sonowal visited two flood relief camps at Hatikhuli at Kohora in KNP and interacted with the inmates there.

Environment and Forest minister Pramila Rani Brahma, Water Resources minister Kesab Mahanta and Agriculture minister Atul Bora accompanied Mr Sonowal during his visit.