Kaziranga’s women guards ensure safer passage for flood-hit animals
The least number of animals have been run over by vehicles in the first year of the deployment of Van Durgas for patrolling a highway adjoining the rhino domain
GUWAHATI The least number of animals have been run over by vehicles in the first year of the deployment of women forest guards for patrolling a highway adjoining the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.
The 1,307.49 sq. km tiger reserve, considered the world’s safest address for the one-horned rhino, recorded the highest level of flood – 87.47 metres – in a decade on July 1. The flood this year killed 174 animals, two of which died after speeding vehicles hit them on National Highway 715.
Assam flood situation unchanged, nearly 14 lakh people affected
The highway stretches for about 60 km along the southern edge of Kaziranga National Park. During floods, the animals flee to the hills of the Karbi Anglong district on the other side of the park. Speed guns and cameras are installed at some of the nine animal corridors on this highway where vehicles are not allowed to move at speeds beyond 40 km per hour.
“Kaziranga has 108 women forest guards and forester 1s (equivalent to sub-inspector) posted since September 2023. While they are well trained, they have been engaged in active flood management and patrolling of the highway to regulate the traffic and ensure the safety of the animals,” the park’s Director, Sonali Ghosh told The Hindu.
The team of women forest frontline staff, including four with the Special Rhino Protection Force, was named Van Durga by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March.
Forest officials said the annual floods, necessary for Kaziranga’s landscape, are a test of the survival of the fittest animals. “Many animals drown but their death due to vehicle hits while crossing the highway is unacceptable, and we put in a lot of effort to avoid such cases,” a frontline forest worker said.
Flood-related deaths of the Kaziranga animals are recorded under four categories – drowning, died under care, vehicle hits, and others. Drowning claimed 158 animals, including 10 rhinos, 13 died under care, vehicles hit two hog deer, and an otter pup died of “other reasons”.
Assam flood situation improves marginally; 17 lakh affected in 26 districts
Records maintained by the tiger reserve authorities show no animal died in 2018, a “low-flood” year for Kaziranga. The data also indicate that the least number of animals were killed on the highway in almost a decade.
Between 2019 and 2023, a total of 68 animals were killed by vehicles, 22 of them in 2022.
“Our male counterparts helped us overcome our inexperience in dealing with the flood-hit animals. Our responsibility included patrolling the highway, slowing down vehicles, and avoiding conflicts between humans and animals escaping the flooded park,” Monisha Das, a forester 1 and marathoner stationed in Kaziranga’s Bagori Range said.
The flood has been in receding mode for the past couple of days but Kaziranga officials said the worst may not be over yet. Assam is known to experience up to five waves of flood in a calendar year, the last in October-November.
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