Assam: Flood overtakes poachers in killing rhinos

Guwahati: As the flood situation in Assam has improved slowly, probably it’s time to ponder the feasible ways to safeguard human lives as well as precious wildlife, specifically the world-famous single-horn rhinoceros in various forest reserves.

Statistics reveal that the second wave of flood in the state took away the lives of 10 one-horned rhinos in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, whereas the same number of casualties due to poaching was reported in full five bygone years, thanks to the brutal laws against the poachers, strengthening of ground staff inside the protected forest areas and increasing public awareness in the fringe localities of forest reserves.

Needless to mention, Assam recorded a zero rhino-poaching year in 2022 to draw the attention of world conservationists.

The flood, erosion and storms have killed more than 110 people in Assam and put thousands of families in relief camps for days. 

The annual flood embracing the incessant rainfalls devastated 10,50,000 domestic animals and poultry and it damaged a number of embankments, roads and bridges, buildings and other infrastructures in the state.

Kaziranga went under flood water from the swollen Brahmaputra river for many days and no less than 198 wild animals including 10 rhinos and 180 deers died due to drowning and other causes.

The park authority however rescued 143 animals including two rhino calves too during the flood time and 123 animals were already released after necessary treatments. 

The safe habitat for the largest population of rhinos in the world eventually experiences flooding every year and as the core 430 square kilometre area (now extended to 1,300 sq km) goes under the water, the animals take refuge in the highlands erected inside it.

Many animals also try to cross the National Highway-715 on its southern border to climb the hilly areas of Karbi Anglong.

While crossing the highway, some animals are killed by the speeding vehicles and hence the authorities instruct the drivers to maintain a safe speed limit to avoid any unwanted incidents.

Often the vehicles are escorted by the forest officials while crossing the park to prevent accidents with the fleeing animals.

The  UNESCO World Heritage site, which gives shelter to more than  2600 one-horned rhinos along with Asiatic elephants, water buffalo, royal Bengal tigers and a variety of birds faced a major flood in 2017, when over 350 animals including  24 rhinos died due to drowning and colliding with moving vehicles on the highway.

The poachers struck Kaziranga this year in January itself killing two rhinos for the horns, which is understood to bring a handsome amount of money in the illegal wildlife markets.

Rhino horns, grown by both males and females after attaining six years, are believed to have medicinal values supposed to cure typhoid, headache, stomach ailments, food poisoning, snakebites and even cancer. 

Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam and the Middle East are also known to be huge markets for rhino horns, where their use for medical purposes and scientific research is legalised.

Many also unscientifically believe that one can achieve unusual sexual power with the help of rhino horns (using it as an aphrodisiac/traditional Viagra).

Last year, Kaziranga witnessed one rhino poaching incident  (Manas National Park also lost one rhino to poachers) and it was preceded by two incidents in 2021 and 2020, whereas three rhinos were killed in 2019.

Rhinos are recognised as vulnerable species by the IUCN and  India’s Wildlife Protection Act formulated in 1972 gives enormous power to the forest rangers to protect the grass-eating pachyderm.

So it’s high time to mitigate the perennial flood in Assam.

Often the government schemes (mostly embankment-centric) are announced and implemented but they work partially only.

Once we talked about controlling the flood (so the flood control department existed) and now admit we have to adopt the ways to live with floods. 

When flood mitigation emerges too difficult, the discussion should focus on minimizing the devastating impact with proper policies.

New Delhi should continue pursuing with upper riparian countries like Bhutan and Tibet (now under China) for receiving timely alerts about unusually high rainfalls and hydropower activities (including damning water resources) in their places.