Speed guns on highway along Kaziranga National Park out of order

An environment activist has flagged the need to check the speed limit of vehicles to avoid running over animals that cross the highway to escape the flooded rhinoceros habitat every year

Road side hoardings to control vehicle movements inside Kaziranga. File | Photo Credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR

Speed sensors along a 44-km stretch of a national highway flanking the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, have not been operational since February.

Less than a month after flagging the non-functional speed guns installed at four critical animal corridors in keeping with a series of directives from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), an eastern Assam-based environment activist submitted a reminder to the State’s Chief Secretary, Paban Kumar Barthakur, on June 20.

“…Give necessary directions for re-operationalising the ANPR (automatic number plate recognising) installed in the designated animal corridors…,” Rohit Choudhury wrote, pointing out that the speed guns have not been working since February 1 despite a budgetary provision of ₹4.95 crore for the 2022-23 fiscal for maintaining the cameras.

Consequently, vehicles have been crossing the stretch from Rangalu to Borjuri at 80-90 kmph. The speed guns could have helped keep the speed limit within 40 kmph, as mandated by the NGT, he said in the letter.

₹5,000 fine

The NGT had also ordered the imposition of ₹5,000 as fine on each vehicle exceeding the speed limit as environmental compensation, for endangering the wild fauna.

Mr. Choudhury stressed the need to make the speed guns operational ahead of the approaching floods. Every year, animals escaping the flooded rhinoceros habitat often get run over by speeding vehicles while trying to cross the highway to reach the safety of the Karbi Anglong hills.

“In all likelihood, the speed sensors should start functioning within a couple of days,” Assam’s Chief Wildlife Warden Sandeep Kumar told The Hindu, insisting he has been trying to make the sensors work again after taking charge.

He had replaced M.K. Yadava as the Chief Wildlife Warden in April.

Pursuant to the Supreme Court’s order in April 2019, a committee constituted by the Assam government identified nine animal corridors on NH37 a month later. These corridors are Panbari, Haldhibari, Bagori, Harmati, Kanchanjuri, Hatidandi, Deosur, Chirang, and Amguri.

In June 2022, Kaziranga authorities installed six speed sensors — two each at Panbari and Haldhibari and one each at Deosur and Amguri — at an expenditure of ₹16 crore.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, floods across 18 districts and sub-divisions of the State has so far affected 30,729 people. The Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve straddles three of these districts and sub-divisions — Golaghat, Nagaon, and Biswanath.