The Chitwan National Park (CNP) has upped its surveillance in view of increasing insecurity and risks to the wildlife in the park and its buffer zone. 

A death of a rare one-horned rhino from an electric shock due to negligence on part of a hotel employee in Meghauli area in the western part of the district prompted authorities to take extra precautionary measures. The western area of the CNP is home to dozens of lavish hotels. 

An adult one-horned rhino (female) was electrocuted after it came in contact with a crude wire being used to build a boat on August 8 near Hotel Meghauli Serai owned by the Chaudhary Group. 

The CNP had arrested nine persons in connection with the incident. Four of them including two Indians have been taken into custody for further interrogation as per the court order. 

"We have started a strict monitoring of the hotels," CNP Chief Conservation Officer Ram Chandra Kandel said, adding "We have made preparations for monitoring the hotel and acquiring information on all of its activities." 

The CNP has started preparations for colleting details of hotels here. The number of people working there, the nature of works allocated to them, the legal status of hotels, and their activities will now come under the scrutiny of CNP. 

Whether hotels here conducted environmental impact assessment (EIA) will also be checked during the surveillance. If any activity of the hotels here is found harming the wildlife and causing negative impact on biological diversities, they will be immediately brought into book, according to CPN Information Officer Nurendra Aryal. 

Meghauli Serai, Kasara Report, Golaghat Resort, Tiger Land, Jungle Villa,Safari Narayani, Eco Wildlife Resort, Machan Paradise, Rhino Resort, Central Palm Jungle Resort and Hotel Barahi are based in the western part of park adjoining to its buffer zone. Chitwan's Sauraha is also a storehouse for hotels including while some of them are categorised as star hotels. 

Various species of wildlife including rhino, spotted deer, beer, elephant and wild boar take a stroll around the hotel areas. RSS