GUWAHATI, March 13 – The Gauhati High Court has directed the Director of the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) to furnish a detailed project report for saving the rhinos from poachers, on or before May 26.
Acting on a public interest litigation (PIL) [Suo-moto {66/2012 (XXX-vs-The State of Assam & Others)}] case, a bench of Chief Justice AM Sapre and Justice AK Goswami has asked the KNP Director to prepare the report in consultation with the stakeholders, organisations and parks all over the world.
The court has also asked the KNP Director to be present in person on each date of hearing of the case.
The KNP Director in his submission before the court, had requested for around two months’ time to prepare a ‘high quality methodical report to suggest various proposals for curbing poaching on a permanent basis and also on related issues dealing with the park and to preserve the rhino’.
The court expressed serious concern about the incidents of poaching in the KNP, which have recently taken place and are taking place from time to time. “…we view it seriously. At any cost, in our view, the same must be stopped at the earliest to save the nature’s most priceless and precious endangered species ‘Rhino’. Indeed, it is our duty to preserve this God’s gift to this world at any cost,” the Court observed.
Meanwhile, the Project Tiger authorities of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests have asked for a detailed report from the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and the Chief Wildlife Warden of the State on the release of an amount of Rs 708.906 lakh of the Central Share to the Field Director, Kaziranga Tiger Reserve.
