In Kaziranga, Indo-French partnership bears fruit
- December 5, 2022
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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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:
- It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
- It is recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.