To promote smooth and accident-free passage of wild animals when crossing NH-37, the Assam forest department has placed sensor cameras in nine designated wildlife corridors of Kaziranga National Park.
The sensor cameras have been deployed from Rangalu to Borjuri.
Six sensor cameras have been installed and will start working on June 10, 2022. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) with Radar for speed determination is equipped in the animal sensor cameras.
Vehicles traveling at speeds over 40 km/h will be fined, as per the National Green Tribunal’s orders in the cases MA No 687 of 2013, MA No 1070 of 2013, and MA No 142 of 2014.
According to a department notification, any vehicle that is penalized, notably for speeding and killing or harming animals, will be penalised an environmental compensation of Rs. 5000 per occurrence, in addition to the sum due under the Motor Vehicle Act.
In the meantime, authorities have set many restrictions along national highway 37, which travels through the Kaziranga national park in Assam, in anticipation of probable flooding.
The Bokakhat sub-divisional magistrate has placed limitations on the road, including speed limits, in order to conserve the species of Kaziranga.
“During high flood season, the wild animals of the Kaziranga national park have a natural tendency to migrate for shelter towards the Karbi Anglong Hills thereby crossing NH-37,” the official order read.
It added, “While migrating, there is every likelihood of wild animals falling prey to the hands of miscreants or meeting with accidents that may put the lives of passengers as well as wild animals at risk.”
It further added stated, “There are sufficient grounds to regulate the speed of the vehicles and impose restrictions in the scheduled area, so as to protect human lives and wild animals.”
It is worth noting that on the section of NH-37 between Panbari wildlife corridor and the district/sub-divisional western boundary near Bagori, vehicle speeds have been regulated.
Besides that, while passing the stretch of NH-37 that runs through the Kaziranga National Park, no vehicle would be allowed to exceed the speed limit of 40 kilometres per hour.
