This refers to the editorial, “Deluge in Kaziranga” (August 22). The riparian world heritage site, which has now become a graveyard for animals, oozes out the lack in preparedness for such natural calamities and due to the span and spread of the national park, it is the collective responsibility of both the society and the authorities to work in tandem. Flood is a common phenomenon in Assam and the Brahmaputra is notorious for breaking its bank. People have learnt to adapt to such yearly deluges by constructing their houses on elated bamboo pillars but it is a pity that the animals can't do so. Even taking such steps, to build flood resistant embankments, is next to impossible.
However, some other steps can be taken in order to preclude the scale of deaths. Innately the rhinoceroses have an intuition of migrating to safer place well before disaster strikes, but due to the unpredictable nature of the monsoons, the animals sometimes can't make the journey to safety in time. The authorities must use helicopters in order to chase out the animals to safer places, those which can't be taken out shall be tranquilised and transported, and limits shall be placed on movement of automobiles. The task is humongous and it can't be achieved without grassroot participation of the residents. Sensitisation programmes must be initiated to safeguard the collective interests of people and animals.