All is not well at the Kaziranga National Park. If the current situation at the park does not improve at all, the UNESCO may withdraw the World Heritage Site title which it enjoys now. “The World Heritage Committee is taking note of the ground reality at the Kaziranga National Park and naturally, it would be a very sad day for the people of Assam if the title is withdrawn,” said a retired Forest official.

According to highly-placed sources, in most of the recent rhino poaching cases, militant outfits like the KPLT and other anti-social groups are involved since the price of the rhino horn has reportedly gone up to Rs 35-40 lakh in the international markets. The present Forest staff cannot possibly control the militant activities inside the park area with the existing infrastructure given the availability of highly sophisticated arms like AK-series assault rifles with the trained militants-turned-poachers. The sources suggested that the only way to control the poaching activities at the Kaziranga National Park is to carry out a commando-type combing operation, basically done by the Army and paramilitary forces to flush out extremists inside jungles in the North-east and Jammu & Kashmir.

There is a great need to strengthen the existing Forest staff at the Kaziranga National Park by deploying additional 200 to 300 guards to provide logistic support to the paramilitary forces while carrying out combing operations against poachers. It is also important to bring back the young Forest personnel who were recruited a couple of years back and transferred to other areas of Assam after serving for hardly eight months at the Kaziranga National Park, in order to intensify patrolling inside the park.

It is also very important to have a separate wildlife wing under the Assam Government so that whoever is recruited will have to serve in the forest areas till their retirement and under no circumstances, any such recruit should be allowed to perform other duties under political influence.

There is also an allegation that some Forest staff posted at the roadside forest camps often neglect their duty and remain in the camps under the influence of alcohol. They should be removed. The need of the hour is to strengthen the intelligence network and nab the poachers taking shelter in the Karbi Hills. The mere announcement of Rs 1 lakh for providing information about poachers by the Government will not serve the actual purpose, the sources added.