Tourist activities in two ranges of Kaziranga to be closed for President’s visit on Feb. 26-27

Golaghat, Feb. 22 (PTI): All tourist activities in two ranges of Assam’s Kaziranga National Park (KNP) will be closed on February 26 and 27 in view of President Ram Nath Kovind’s proposed visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

An order issued by Ramesh Kumar Gogoi, divisional forest officer, eastern Assam wildlife division, Bokakhat, said tourist activities will be closed from morning of February 26 to forenoon of February 27 in Western Range, Bagori, and Kaziranga Range, Kohora.

Elephant and jeep safaris will not take place during the period, it added.

However, Burapahar and Agoratoli ranges will be open for tourist activities, the order added.

The President is scheduled to visit the Kaziranga National Park on February 26 afternoon.

He will also review the conservation activities in the Park during his stay before leaving for New Delhi the following day.

The protected park spread across 430km in Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Nagaon districts of Assam is home to more than 2,200 Indian one-horned rhinoceros.

Kovind will start his three-day visit to the state on February 25 with a programme at Guwahati. He will attend the convocation of Tezpur University at Tezpur the next day before proceeding to Kaziranga National Park.