Saving rhino Sir, Your editorial of April 19 and Ramani Kanta Dekas letter of April 25 are two very important messages for saving rhinos. It is very encouraging to note that inspite of reports of frequent killing of rhinos by poachers, there is sudden rise in rhino population in Kaziranga National Park.
Three yeas back I took a family from England and enjoyed the trip to KNP on elephant. I pass through almost twice a year by NH 37 through Kaziranga to Upper Assam; and every time I observe spreading of the thatched huts on both sides of the highway, encroaching the forest land. It is said that since the new Forest Minister has taken over charge, the thatched huts have been converted into brickwall with C I sheet roof and enroachment of forest land is faster.
While I was in Australia for one year in late sixties, I had the opportunity of visiting Canberra, Australian Capital territory, although my places of work and training were Melbourne and Sydney. History says- once Queen Elizabeth of England wanted to land at Canberra airport from London. Australian government initially agreed for widening of the airport for smooth landing of the Queen but later on abandoned the ideas respecting the resentment of the Australia people not to destroy the forest land to preserve a special type of lizard and kangaroos; Queen Elizabeth had to land in Sydney and drove to Canberra by road; but destruction of hilly areas and forest land surrounding the city of Guwahati is a childs play of Government of Assam. Yours etc., Dr R N Dutta, Milanpur Road, Guwahati.
