In Kaziranga, Indo-French partnership bears fruit

Subject :Environment

In the news-

The Kaziranga project is a part of a larger Assam Project on Forest and Biodiversity Conservation (APFBC) for which the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) has committed funding of €80.2 million for a 10-year period, between 2014-2024.

Measures to be taken under the Indo-French initiative at the Kaziranga National Park in Assam-

Artificial highlands where animals can escape during floods;
engagement with local communities and alternate livelihood training for them
biodiversity conservation- reforestation of 33,500 hectares of land,
wildlife management ( 457sq km Kaziranga National Park)
- The illegal timber trade is one of the main reasons for the degradation of forests around the reserve.
The “protection strategy” adopted by Kaziranga involves setting up 223 anti-poaching camps across the park.
There are 35 six-seven-foot tall embankments or highlands that have been constructed in various areas around the park, that animals can climb onto and seek refuge during the annual flooding.
The project has also developed infrared-based early warning systems, triggered by elephant footfall, to either scare off herds from human habitat or warn villagers.

About Kaziranga national park-

Kaziranga National Park is one of India’s oldest reserve areas.
It is located in Golaghat and Nagaon, in the Karbi Anglong district of Assam in northeast India.
The park is administered by the forest department of the Assam State Government.

History of Kaziranga National Park

Mary Curzon took the initiative to declare the area ‘protected’, with her husband Lord Curzon after she failed to spot a single rhinoceros in the area.

Year	Description
1905	Established as Kaziranga Proposed Reserve Forest.
1950	Renamed to Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary
1974	The Government of India declared the area as a National Park. By this time, the area of the park had increased to about 430 sq.km from the original 232 sq.km
1985	UNESCO declared Kaziranga National Park as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was home to 2/3rd of the world’s population of rhinoceroses.
2006	The Indian Government declared it as a Tiger Reserve after the Tiger Population dropped. Now, it has one of the highest densities of tigers in the world.

The park also has elephants, swamp deer, wild water buffalo, etc. It also has a wide range of flora.
It also has 15 threatened species of fauna. It is also a breeding ground for many species of big cats like leopards and Bengal tigers.
The park has about 2413 rhinos.
In March 2020, Kaziranga National Park was selected as one among the 17 Iconic Tourist Sites of the country by the Indian Government.
The National Highway 37 passes through the parking area.
The Kaziranga National Park has 250 plus seasonal water bodies, besides the Diphlu River running through it.
Kaziranga is also home to 9 of the 14 species of primates found in the Indian subcontinent.

International Status: