GUWAHATI: A group of 18 children might have felt like VIPs on Monday when they were escorted to their school and brought back home by forest guards wielding gun.
The forest department had to take this measure as a stretch of the road from the minors’ Timona Basti and Kendupaam village to their Nam Kamakhya Gaon Lower Primary School in central Assam’s Nagaon district traverses a tea garden which is frequented by a full-grown tiger that killed a man and injured some others in recent times.
Monday was the first day of a four-day event called 'Gunotsav 2025'. It is a school evaluation exercise of the state government.
The school authorities had approached the forest department seeking security for these children so they can take part in Gunotsav. Security was provided accordingly.
Bibhuti Majumder, Ranger of the Salonah Range, told this newspaper the forest department was ready to provide security to people as and when required. The department advised villagers not to venture out after dusk.
“We have told villagers to contact us whenever they feel insecure. We are always available. Patrolling is carried out regularly,” the forest officer said.
According to him, the tiger often ventures out of the Kamakhya Reserve Forest in the vicinity. It was not sighted in the past two days. As the fear of the big cat continues in the area, the authorities are bringing a battalion of forest personnel from upper Assam’s Digboi. The personnel will be deployed to the area.
Majumdar said in case of emergency, the forest department would engage the personnel of the 2nd Assam Forest Protection Force.
There is a public demand to tranquilise the tiger. But Majumdar said, “If a tiger is spotted in an urban area, tranquilising it is not difficult. However, it is not possible to tranquilise it in a jungle because the animal will run away when you go near it riding an elephant. We need a 5-metre range to shoot the dart.”
Senior forest officials will meet on Tuesday and discuss the matter. The department set up some cages but has got no success so far.