Assam yet to reply to Centre on alleged anomaly in Kaziranga rhino census

The Assam government is yet to reply to the union environment, forest and climate change ministry’s requests to submit factual reports on alleged anomalies in the last rhino census undertaken in the state’s Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR).

In February this year, the wildlife division of the ministry and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), which falls under the same ministry, had asked the Assam chief wildlife warden (CWW) to submit status report on the census at the earliest.

The request for status reports on the exact number of rhinos in KNPTR, the world’s largest habitat for one-horn rhinos, came following a submission made by RTI (Right To Information) and wildlife activist Rohit Choudhury.

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In the 14th rhino census carried out in KNPTR in March last year, authorities had stated that the total number of endangered animals had increased from 2,413 in 2018 to 2,613—a jump of 200 animals.

Questioning the census process and the official numbers, Choudhury had filed RTI applications and analysis of replies received by him from the forest department showed difference in the number of rhinos listed by enumerators of the census and a subsequent tally made public later.

Data sheets submitted by enumerators after surveys done on March 26-27 last year showed the total number of rhinos in Kaziranga as 2,042.

However, a ‘sample survey’ was conducted in 22 randomly selected compartments (of the total 84 in the park) on March 28 and it was mentioned that 1,064 rhinos were counted—which was much more than the 472 rhinos counted by enumerators in the same 22 blocks on March 26-27.

The RTI reply revealed that no independent or media observers were present during the sample survey or during computation of final data and some rules were not followed during the census.

Adding that the figures were statistically unsound, Choudhury wrote to the union environment and forest ministry in January this year seeking inquiry into the “grave anomalies”.

Centre had written to the Assam government in February seeking replies on the allegations.

“We are looking into the requests made by the union ministry. I will be able to give more details of the same after few days,” Assam forest minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said when asked about the delay.

Newly appointed chief wildlife warden Sandeep Kumar, who took charge this week following removal of his predecessor MY Yadava over alleged misuse of tiger conservation funds, couldn’t be reached for his comments.

Director of KNPTR, Jatindra Sarma, also did not comment on the issue.

“It is astonishing to see that despite seriousness of the issue, Assam government has not replied to union forest ministry and NTCA even after considerable amount of time has elapsed,” said Choudhury.