Lok Sabha Question No. 3122 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-06
Subject: Kaziranga National Park
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Pallab Lochan Das

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3122

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.12.2019

## Kaziranga National Park

## 3122.  SHRI PALLAB LOCHAN DAS:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  conserve  the  wildlife  of  Kaziranga National Park;
- (b) the further steps undertaken to ensure Kaziranga is free from poachers;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to make Kaziranga an eco-tourism hub; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

- (a) & (b) The Government of India through the National Tiger Conservation Authority has brought the Kaziranga National Park under the ambit of ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Project Tiger in 2008 which enabled enhanced funding support  in addition  to technical guidance/support,  wherein  assistance  is provided for the following activities:
- (i) creation of antipoaching/patrolling camps
- (ii) reinforcing the wireless network
- (iii) providing motor boats / country boats, besides vehicles support
- (iv) support the field gear to frontline staff, alongwith arms / ammunition
- (v) building  up  capacity  of  field  personnel  towards  technical  wildlife monitoring using camera traps / transects
- (vi) capacity building of field staff for surveillance / intelligence gathering / investigation
- (vii) 24X7 electronic surveillance deployment in sensitive areas
- (viii) providing  funding  support  for  deploying  local  people  in  day  to  day field protection
- (ix) providing funding support for ecodevelopment in the peripheral buffer areas  of  the  tiger  reserve  to  elicit  local  support  for  Rhino  /  wildlife conservation
- (x) providing support for special protection measures during flood season which inter alia include Highlands construction and maintenance
- (xi) raising,  arming  and  deploying  of  Special  Rhino  Protection  Force (SRPF) on lines of the Special Tiger Protection Force

Further, a Rhino Task Force was constituted in the year 2015 to suggest measures  to  strengthen  conservation  efforts  at  the  Kaziranga  Tiger  Reserve which has since, submitted its recommendations.

Financial assistance (Central Government's Share) provided under the ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Project Tiger to the Kaziranga Tiger Reserve, Assam during last three years and the current year are as under:-

| 2016-17                   | Rs. 622.94 lakhs   |
|---------------------------|--------------------|
| 2017-18                   | Rs. 1462.25 lakhs  |
| 2018-19                   | Rs. 1030.25 lakhs  |
| 2019-20 (as on 2.12.2019) | Rs. 1290.03 lakhs  |

- (c) & (d) There is no such proposal.  However, tourism is being undertaken in the areas of  the  Kaziranga  Tiger  Reserve  in  accordance  with  the  National  Tiger Conservation  Authority  (Normative  Standards  for  Tourism  activities  and Project Tiger) Guidelines, 2012.