2016: Annual Report of the General Secretary

Respected President, Members of the executive committee and dear members,

I, on behalf of the Kaziranga Wildlife Society, most heartily welcome you all to the 36^th annual General Meeting of the Society. Before presenting the annual report, I would like to extend my warm welcome to the new members of KWS and at the same time offer my deepest condolences to the families of our revered members—Late Tarun Choudhury, Late Dilip Borthakur, Late Kalyan Gogoi, Late Ujjal Borgohain and Late Aparna Padmapati Sir--who left for their heavenly abode. I also take this opportunity to offer my sincere thanks to all our esteemed members for believing in me and choosing me to shoulder the responsibility as general secretary of this oldest conservation NGO of the northeastern region. Definitely, it has been a humbling yet testing experience for me.

As you are all aware, the times are changing. Wildlife is in dire need of conservation like never before. In the face of development, nature conservation has become ever more challenging. Progress, they say, comes at a price. In the north eastern region, in the last two decades, development cost us our precious nature and wildlife. At this critical juncture, a premier organization like KWS with the core objectives--to protect, preserve and propagate nature, wildlife and environment -- has a crucial role to play. I, therefore, appeal to each and every member of the Society to take active interest in conservation and urge you to devote a little of your precious time in fulfilling the objectives of Kaziranga Wildlife Society.

After taking over, we felt that although the Society is credited to have an enrolment of over 500 members, besides student and honorary members, our activities and our yearly meetings somehow fail to unite us. So we tried to and still trying to improve on the communication with all members—old and new. As resolved in our first executive meeting, we are also trying to extend the membership base of the Society among wildlife enthusiasts and more particularly the student community. At the same time we also planned for more result-oriented work/activities to create awareness for conservation of flora and fauna and carry out programmes involving students. We are really happy that students and educational institutions have become partners in our conservational efforts and our awareness campaigns.

Coming to activities—I must thank each of you for your help, guidance, cooperation and contribution--we could carry out a number of fruitful events this term even with limited resources.

We started with the celebration of our Foundation Day on December 12. To commemorate the Day, a bird watching camp was organized on December 20 inside the State Zoo and Botanical Garden premises under the Hengerabari Reserve Forest. More than 50 students from three schools in the city participated in the camp along with avid bird watchers, media persons and KWS members. Noted wildlife activist, author and director of Nature’s Beckon, Soumyadeep Dutta was the resource person on the occasion. The Society thankfully acknowledge the contribution made by our esteemed members Raj Baruah, Ronjit Dohutia, Prasanta Gogoi and Chandan Gogoi for purchasing three binoculars for the Society.

Following the killing of four rhinos in the initial 40 days of this year, KWS organized a press meet in the Guwahati Press Club on February13, 2016 and demanded that the Assam government make public an intelligence report by the Intelligence Cell that had last year reportedly found the involvement of some state forest department staff in rhino poaching in Kaziranga National Park. But the state government was yet to make the report public for action against those involved. The KWS also asked the forest department to implement its decision to set up wildlife police stations, step up investigation and prosecution process, sensitize the eco-development societies and involve NGOs to counter rhino poaching. The Society asked the government to at once re-instate the intelligence cell in Kaziranga and also to install a toll-free helpline so that people can share information with the forest staff and police to prevent rhino poaching. KWS also demanded that political parties declare a green agenda for protection and preservation of the forests and rich wildlife in the state.

(The KWS revelation and demands received wide media coverage and the Government took prompt action. The Intelligence Cell was reinstated in KNP. Also, there was change in guard in the director level).

On the occasion of World Sparrow Day on March 20 and World Water Day on March 22, Kaziranga Wildlife Society organized a programme in the Guwahati Press Club on 20^th March, 2016. A short film, I Spy Sparrows was screened followed by a discussion on Water Conservation. Eminent educationist and ex-principal, B Barooah College, Dinesh Baishya threw light on the water scenario of the state and called for a strict law for preserving all water sources. President of Early Birds, Moloy Barua, deliberated on the degradation of wetlands in the state. The meeting called for a joint resolution by all environment NGOs of Assam to demand the state government strict laws for preservation of wetlands and ground water and also to initiate measures to encourage rain water harvesting.

The Society observed Earth Day on April 22 in association with Assam School of Journalism in its premises at Silpukhuri, Guwahati. An interaction session was held with the students on different aspects of conservation. Pranay Bordoloi and Monoram Gogoi, director, school of journalism coordinated the programme.

We also thankfully acknowledge the contribution made by Raja Kakati for planting saplings in the Kohora office premises on the occasion.

The KWS, responding to a request made by local youths and keeping with its tradition of community service in and around Kaziranga National Park, offered trophies as awards for marathon and debating competition held as a part of “Rong Chora” at Kohora.