PM enjoys safari in Assam's Kaziranga
Kaziranga, (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday enjoyed elephant and jeep safaris in the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve in Assam, an official said.
The PM, on his first visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, spent two hours in the park.
During the trip, Modi interacted with members of 'Van Durga', the team of women forest guards who are at the forefront of conservation efforts, elephant mahouts and forest officials.
"Kaziranga is known for the rhinos but there are also large number of elephants, along with several other species," the PM wrote on Twitter.
He first undertook the elephant safari in Mihimukh area of the central Kohora range of the park.
Modi, donning jungle fatigue, a jacket and a hat, rode an elephant named 'Pradyumna' whose mahout was Raju, and passed through the safari route of Dagland and Foliomari area, the official said.
He was followed by a convoy of 16 elephants.
During the tour of the Kaziranaga National Park, he fed sugarcane to three elephants - Lakhimai, Pradyumna and Phoolmai.
The prime minister then undertook the jeep safari in the same forest range and stopped at the Daflang Watch Tower to get a view of the sanctuary.
A tiger whizzed past the path of the prime minister's cascade, the official said, adding that PM Modi saw one-horned rhinoceros, wild buffaloes, deer and several birds in the jungle.
During the tour of Kaziranga, PM Modi took several pictures of the forest and wildlife.
The PM was accompanied by Kaziranga National Park Director Sonali Ghosh. Other senior forest officials and security personnel were also present there.
"Interacted with Van Durga, the team of women forest guards who are at the forefront of conservation efforts, bravely protecting our forests and wildlife. Their dedication and courage in safeguarding our natural heritage is truly inspiring," the prime minister wrote on the microblogging site.
The jeep and elephant safaris in the central Kohora range remained closed for tourists since March 7 in view of the security arrangements for the prime minister's visit.
The jungle safari in the forest range for visitors will reopen on March 10.
The prime minister had arrived at Kaziranga on Friday evening on a two-day visit to the state.
He is also scheduled to inaugurate the 125-ft high 'Statue of Valour' of legendary Ahom general Lachit Barphukan at Jorhat in the afternoon.
Modi will then go to Meleng Meteli Pothar where he will inaugurate or lay the foundation stone for central and state projects worth around Rs 18,000 crore.
He is also scheduled to address a public meeting at the same venue.
#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Kaziranga National Park in Assam today. The PM also took an elephant safari here. pic.twitter.com/Kck92SKIhp
— ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2024
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MP boat tragedy: Death toll rises to 10 with recovery of one more body; 3 tourists still missing
Jabalpur (PTI): The body of a child was retrieved on Saturday evening from Bargi Dam in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh, raising the death toll in the cruise boat tragedy that took place two days ago to ten, while search continued for three missing tourists.
The boat, operated by the state tourism department, capsized during a storm on Thursday evening with some of the survivors alleging negligence and safety lapses such as life jackets not being distributed in time.
The body recovered on Saturday evening was possibly that of six-year-old Viraj Soni, said Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Anjul Ayank Mishra.
"The identity will be confirmed after family members identify the body," he told PTI.
Kamraj, an employee of the Ordnance Factory at Khamaria, his five-year-old son Tamil, and another child Mayuram (5) who had come from southern India were still missing.
Authorities have arranged equipment to search deep waters of the dam and are getting a generator to facilitate diving operations, Mishra added.
Divers and disaster response teams have expanded the search radius to five km, he said.
Of the 41 identified passengers on board the ill-fated vessel, 28 were rescued, police said.
More than 200 rescuers, including around 20 Army divers airlifted from Agra, joined the search operation that resumed at 5 on Saturday morning. The operation, involving the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force and local divers, was briefly affected at around 9 am due to strong winds, officials said.
Post-mortem examinations of nine deceased persons have been completed, Mishra said.
"Our priority is to search for the missing persons. We will also register a First Information Report in the case soon," he said.
Police said CCTV footage near the boarding point showed 43 people heading towards the boat while the identities of 41 passengers have been confirmed so far.
The state government on Friday ordered a probe into the tragedy and dismissed three crew members. It also banned operation of similar vessels in the state.
