RASAMATI FOREST

No rhino to come at Rasamati forest

The plan to bring a few one-horn rhinoceros at Rasamati forestland in Cooch Behar has been differed. The new decision was adopted due to lack of adequate infrastructure at Rasamati. So, the rhinos of Jaldapara forest in Jalpaiguri district would stay at their abode as they are.

State forest minister Mr Hiten Barman has disclosed the new decision of his department. It may be recalled that the previous forest minister Mr Ananta Ray had announced that rhinos would be brought at Rasamati to make the forest attractive to the tourists. Initiative to implement the plan had been taken but the change of regime has changed the plan itself.

The minister said they would take stern steps to stop forest plundering at any cost. To make it happen they would provide sophisticated arms to the forest personnel. Vigilance would be beefed up along the Assam-Bengal state border to curb the activities of illegal poachers and timber smugglers, he added.  

At the same time the minister said they would discuss the matter of killing of elephants by running trains at a meeting with senior officials of railway authority at Alipurduar on 18 June. A joint strategy may save the wild pachyderms, he believes.

The forest minister declared that the population of wild animals were increasing in different forest areas in the state. The rapid increase of bison is a cause of worry, he said. The forest department would take advice from experts over possibility of sterilisation of bison to curb their population, he said.