| THE STATE OF THE TIGER | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Kaziranga National Park
Kaziranga National Park is a typical example of where the security and survival of endangered species ultimately rests with a group of brave men led by committed senior staff. Kaziranga is widely considered the best-protected Park in the world, but that is due to the people who work there and not the State government of Assam which has frequently let them down. The State government has a history of diverting funds that were allocated for wildlife by the Central government and gives just cause to those who call for direct funding from Central government to the field. The serious problems facing Kaziranga National Park were highlighted in EIA's report "The Political Wilderness" published in October 1996. As a result several newspaper and magazine articles focused on the plight of this extraordinary natural area and tens of thousands of dollars were given by the public and various funding agencies. Since then there has been a continuous flow of foreign donations to the Park, but the fundamental financial responsibility remains with the Central and State governments. The Director of the Park had requested Rs255 lakh (over US$500,000) for the annual budget for 1997/98, in order to ensure that all maintenance work and preventative flood damage measures were carried out. The State government released less than a quarter of that amount, causing considerable difficulties to the Park staff. The 1998 monsoon brought catastrophic flooding to Assam causing human suffering, destroying some of the Park's forest camps and killing wildlife. Despite these serious problems the morale of the Park staff remains relatively high and the Park is well protected. The working elephants, some of which in 1996 were sick and starving, have been treated successfully and are receiving regular feed. Recent appeals for support following the floods have raised considerable funds, including a donation through EIA by the Barbara Delano Foundation of US$50,000. The Chief Minister of Assam, Mr Prafulla Kumar Mohanta, has personally welcomed this support which is being used to rebuild some forest camps and provide equipment and supplies to the Park staff. Other funding agencies are providing similar support. The Floods The Brahmaputra river, which borders the Northern boundary of the National park, inundates the area during every monsoon and the floods are an essential part of this grassland ecosystem. In 1998 various factors conspired to devastate the Park. Due to deforestation upstream from Kaziranga, the floods left behind excessive silt which prevented the water from draining and receding. In addition, an unexpected third wave of floods at the beginning of September kept the water level high. By this time a lot of wildlife had either drowned or had fled to the Karbi-Anglong hills outside of the Park only to run into the gun-sights of waiting poachers. The impact on wildlife was exacerbated by the State government's failure to release the 1997/98 Centrally allocated funds to the Director of the Park. Each year bridges have to be strengthened, roads mended, waterways cleared of water hyacinth and artificial high ground raised and strengthened so that the wildlife that remains inside the Park during the monsoon has somewhere to take refuge. Despite losing their camps and having to live in temporary accommodation, Kaziranga's Forest Guards worked around the clock to deal with the crisis inside and outside of the Park - evacuating stranded villagers and rescuing struggling wildlife. They also had to patrol the surrounding hill areas outside of their jurisdiction without the support of the local police, knowing that they were likely to come across poachers with more sophisticated arms. In spite of a paucity of funds, the Park ran free health camps, free cattle immunisation camps and clean drinking water where possible, for the neighbouring villages. Future Problems In July 1996 the Forest Minister of Assam acknowledged that the previous State government had diverted funds meant for wildlife and pledged that future Centrally sponsored funds would reach the field. Yet under his Ministry Kaziranga was once again neglected in 1997/98. As a result of local and national publicity surrounding the Kaziranga crisis, the State government hurriedly sanctioned the funds that were supposed to reach the Park months earlier. It is likely that freak weather conditions and deforestation upstream will continue to be a problem, so it is imperative that the staff of Kaziranga are prepared for the next monsoon. The State government must acknowledge the dedication of Kaziranga's staff and honour their commitment by ensuring they receive the necessary funds. The Director of Kaziranga National Park, with the support of NGOs has appealed to the State government to approve proposals to include the Karbi-Anglong hills within the Park boundary, thereby handing over the management of these vital areas to the Park. This would give the staff a distinct advantage in protecting wildlife during the monsoon season. Kaziranga National Park has international recognition as a Biosphere Reserve and is not just a vital habitat for 70% of the world's one-horned rhino, but is also home to over 80 tigers, 1,100 elephants and half the world's swamp deer. |
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