Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma’s ‘traffic detour’ plea after vehicles hit 4 hog deer fleeing flooded Kaziranga

JORHAT: Four hog deer were killed by vehicles on National Highway 37 and another swamp deer was killed by poachers in Kaziranga National park (KNP) and Tiger reserve when the animals were coming out of the park periphery due to floods.
Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma made an “urgent appeal” and asked police departments in Nagaon, Jorhat, Sonitpur and Golaghat besides director-general of Assam police to redirect the traffic due to the floods.
“Pl redirect the traffic as indicated below @DGPAssamPOLICE@assampolice@nagaonpolice@Jorhat_police@SonitpurPolice@GolaghatPolice,”Sarma tweeted.

Sarma also tweeted, “URGENT APPEAL- We all take pride in Kaziranga National Park. In wake of floods causing displacement of Kaziranga animals & putting them on risk, may I appeal to truck/other vehicles to avoid NH 715 for commuting between lower & upper Assam & use NH 15 thru North Bank instead?”

“Four hog deer were killed in four separate road accidents on the highway in Kaziranga. The animals were hit by speeding vehicles while they were crossing the highway to reach the nearby Karbi hills in search of highlands due to floods,” said DFO, Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, Kaziranga, Ramesh Kumar Gogoi.
“One female swamp deer was found dead in the park boundary in No.1 Sildubi gaon today (Monday) morning around 6.30am by a local youth. Our preliminary investigation says it could be a poaching case as the post-mortem report said the animal was killed using sharp spears. A case is being registered and an investigation launched,” he said.
Park authorities issued “time cards” to control the speed of the vehicles passing through the park. Thay are issuing the cards at Rangolu in Burapahar for the vehicles coming towards upper Assam and at Borjuri in Bokakhat for the vehicles going towards lower Assam.
According to a flood report issued by KNP authorities on Monday, 70% areas of the park has been submerged by floodwaters. All the three wildlife divisions of Eastern Assam, Biswanath and Nagaon of the park have been affected till Monday evening. A total of 125 of the 223 anti-poaching camps under Agoratoli, Kohora, Bagori, Burhapahar, Bokakhat, Biswanath and Nagaon forest range have been affected. Agoratoli is the worst affected where 32 of the total 36 camps have been inundated followed by Kohora where 31 of the total 49 camps are under water. A forest camp in Biswanath wildlife division has been vacated and shifted to a safer location.