Smarter, Safer Safaris: Kaziranga Jeeps To Be GPS-Enabled

Kaziranga: Authorities at the Kaziranga National Park in Assam have made it mandatory for all tourist-carrying jeeps to install GPS devices in a bid to ensure the safety of both visitors and vehicles, as well as to improve overall management inside the park.

Dr. Sonali Ghosh, Field Director of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, said the move is in line with existing legal provisions. “The Transport Department, through the Forest Department, has issued advisory guidelines for installing GPS in all commercial vehicles across protected areas. Accordingly, jeep owners in Kaziranga have now been directed to equip their vehicles with GPS,” she said.

She added that the new system will bring dual benefits: “First and foremost, it will enhance safety. In the past, we had incidents where tourists accidentally fell from jeeps. With GPS, tracking and response will be much faster. Secondly, it will help in regulating traffic congestion inside the park, especially when multiple jeeps converge at certain points to sight tigers.”

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar along with High Commissioners and Ambassadors of various countries visit Kohora range of Kaziranga National Park, in Golaghat (ANI)

Kaziranga often experiences heavy rush on tourist routes, leading to traffic jams at times. Officials believe GPS monitoring will streamline vehicle movement and reduce overcrowding at popular viewing spots.

Kaziranga: The Abode Of One-horned Rhino
Kaziranga National Park was established in British India in 1908 on the recommendation of Mary Curzon, wife of Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India. The park, home to the Indian one-horned rhino, was declared as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation(UNESCO) in 1985. In 2006, the park added another feather in its cap after it was declared a Tiger Reserve given the thriving population of the big cats.

Indian one-horn rhinoceros take shelter from flood waters on higher land at Kaziranga National Park (AFP)

Kaziranga National Park had 2,613 rhinos as of the March 2022 census. Kaziranga had 148 tigers confirmed by the 2023-2024 survey. Kaziranga is home to approximately 40,000 boars, over 1200 herds of deer, 3,000 wild buffaloes, 1200 elephants and pigs.

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