A file picture of Manas National Park in Assam

Guwahati, Oct. 29: The Indian and Bhutan forest departments have suggested joint patrolling to keep undesirable elements, who sneak into each other’s national parks, at bay.

The World Biodiversity Heritage Programme for Manas has included joint patrolling by the Indian and Bhutan forest departments along the borders of the Manas National Park in India and Royal Manas in Bhutan.

“It would be helpful as it would keep a check on unwanted elements who enter each other’s areas,” A. Swargiari, field director of the Manas National Park, said.

The World Heritage Biodiversity Programme for India, initiated by Unesco, is undertaking a four-year project in the World Heritage Sites of Manas and Kaziranga National Parks of Assam from this year.

The project will take up activities in strengthening the capacity of the park staff for effective management, involving local communities of the fringe villages for conservation and livelihoods and raising the profile of these parks in civil society, among others. A meeting of the programme was held in Guwahati to discuss the various components of the project. Swargiari said this would help in having easy access to each other’s areas, as both the parks are contiguous.

“There are now only two camps along the border with Royal Manas as the 15-20 camps that were set up earlier, no longer exist,” he said.

Swargiari said the proposal would be mutually beneficial. Regular meetings between the heads of both the parks — India and Bhutan — will help strengthen protection.

An official of The Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, which is co-ordinating the implementation of the programme, said the funds allocated for the joint patrol is not enough and has to be increased.

“Joint patrol has been included as a component for Manas,” the official said. A source said the stretches would have to be cleared for undertaking joint patrolling and both sides would have to sit down to work out the logistics.

The other components for Manas are profiling of wildlife offenders, construction of a modern and well-equipped camp for park elephants, purchase of modern communication equipment, creation and training of anti-poaching squads.

The World Heritage Biodiversity sites seek to conserve the earth’s most spectacular examples of natural and biological heritage. Kaziranga National Park, for instance, is a prime example of unusual beauty and unique habitats for some of the world’s rare animals and plants, including the Asian rhino.

The Manas National Park includes some of the most diverse evergreen forests and several species of rare mammals.