Tiger count rises in Orang; Assam govt plans park expansion, tourism boost
The area of the park has been increased to about 280 sq km & there is work on increasing number of wildlife security guards;
Mangaldai, July 15: State Environment and Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary visited the outdoor project of Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve on Sunday night.
After visiting the project for the first time since he assumed office as the State Minister for Environment and Forest, Patowary said: “It is good news for the Orang National Park and its surrounding projects that the number of tigers is continuously increasing in the park and there is a need to extend the geographical area of the park for the Royal Bengal Tigers to roam freely and naturally, for which arrangements are being made.”
The minister said that the park will be expanded soon. While talking about promoting tourism, he also stated that the infrastructure for tourists are being developed in the park. Regarding the casual security guards (wildlife) working in the Park, he said that on the instructions of the Chief Minister, a draft has been prepared regarding the salary of casual security guards, which will soon be passed in the Cabinet.
In response to a question from the reporters, the minister said that while the area of the park has been increased from 79 square kilometres to about 280 square kilometres, the number of forest security personnel deployed in the park could not be increased. “The department is working in this direction. Soon Orang will get additional security forces,” he remarked.
Following the interaction with the reporters, Patowary held a review meeting with the senior officials of the Forest department including DFO Pradipta Baruah and took stock of the situation.
According to the report of the last census, there were 28 Royal Bengal Tigers, 125 one-horned rhinoceros, around 6,000 deer along with a large number of boars, elephants, buffaloes and birds of different species in the Orang National Park, an outdoor project. Significantly, the Orang National Park being the place of the highest population density of Royal Bengal Tigers in the Asian continent, the tourist flow to this park is also increasing. However, the park is yet to have adequate arrangements for quality lodging and food for the visitors and tourists. Though the forest department has recently made some arrangements in terms of eco-camps, it can’t be considered sufficient compared to the rising demands.