Guwahati: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and spiritual leader Sadhguru violated a National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) while they undertook a jeep safari at the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve on Saturday night.
In a letter to the Chief Wildlife Wardens of all tiger range states including Assam in February, 2020, the NCTA clearly mentioned that while undertaking tourism activities in the tiger reserves, the gap between two consecutive vehicles should be maintained at a minimum distance of 500 metres.
“…The above carrying capacity is determined with the presumption that the gap between two consecutive vehicles is maintained at a minimum distance of 500 m.
“But it is often observed that the tourist vehicles inside the tiger reserve do not maintain above minimum distance with other vehicles and often resulting in crowding around animals sighted during the trip, to the detriment of wildlife, hence defeating the very purpose for which carrying capacity is fixed,” the letter read.
However, images, as well as visuals of Chief Minister Sarma and Sadhguru’s safari ride inside the national park, showed, the minimum distance of 500 metres between two vehicles was not maintained.
Several vehicles followed the jeep, in which Sadhguru was in the driving seat and chief minister Sarma was sitting alongside, without maintaining minimum distance.
Following a row over the night safari ride, chief minister Sarma on Monday claimed that he and spiritual guru Sadhguru did not violate any rules by undertaking a night safari at the Kaziranga National Park.