Assam CM takes stock of flood preparedness in Kaziranga

Guwahati, May 12 (IANS): Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday inspected the 33 highlands created in the Kaziranga National Park for sheltering wildlife during floods and asked the authorities to ensure safe shelter, adequate food and treatment to for animals who could be affected. The Chief Minister visited the Agaratoli range of the park and directed the Forest Department to keep adequate quantity of foodstuffs ready for the animals. "No animal of the park should die during floods due to scarcity of food and medicines. The Forest and Veterinary Departments must put in joint efforts to work out a strategy to ensure that no animal dies due to these reasons during floods," the Chief Minister said. He also asked the park authorities to create amenities for the tourists, including revamping roads in the Agoratoli range. While the Kaziranga National Park authorities have stopped the jeep safari inside the park from May 1 this year, the tourist season will come to an end on May 16. The park will be reopened for tourists on November 1. The Chief Minister also directed officials to take steps for making the entire stretch of the National Park more attractive for tourists including the 1.2 km Sohola Beel in the Agaratoli range. He also asked the Forest Department to prepare exclusive profiles for Kohora, Bagori and Agoratoli ranges, which, according to him, would serve as ready reckoners for both domestic and foreign tourists. Sonowal also asked the Forest Department and local administration to use the services of people living in fringe areas of the park for creating a common platform where the tourists would get the taste and feel of local delicacies, customs, culture, traditions and way of life. "At the same time, the park authority must ensure that the presence of tourists do not affect the natural habitat of the flora and fauna," he said. He also reiterated the need for constructing a helipad near the national park for the convenience of tourists and assured all government help in this regard. Sonowal visits Majuli, inspects work to prevent erosion Guwahati, May 12 (PTI): Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Sunday expressed "dissatisfaction" over the quality of work done by Brahmaputra Board to prevent erosion during flood season in Majuli island, an official said. Holding a meeting with senior officials, Sonowal directed them to take stern action against erring officials for the poor quality of works in Majuli, the world's largest river island, which is prone to severe flood every year. Sonowal visited the erosion hit Bhakat Chapori village in Majuli to inspect the protection work done with geo bags by the Brahmaputra Board and expressed "displeasure" over the quality of the project work, a release from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said. The Chief Minister said that the safety and security of the people are of paramount importance and under no circumstances, his government will tolerate any deviation of that. He informed that the Brahmaputra Board will again undertake restoration work of the affected areas within two weeks after water level recedes and no slackness will be tolerated, while the government will fix responsibilities. As the people of Majuli wholeheartedly want to get rid of the scourge of erosion, the government will never shy of taking any steps to serve the people, he added. Sonowal said that the engineers responsible for negligence of protection work of the erosion hit Bhakat Chapori village will be dealt with sternly and asked the Brahmaputra Board to initiate actions against the erring officials. He later held a meeting with the functionaries of the Brahmaputra Board and had a threadbare discussion on the project work.