Chitwan National Park to install CCTV cameras along East-West Highway

CHITWAN: The Chitwan National Park is all set to install as many as 10 CCTV cameras in Barandabhar forest of the Park, by the East-West Highway.

The Park has taken the initiative to install the cameras after witnessing the rise in the number of deaths of wildlife in road accidents in the region.

With the help of World Wildlife Fund, the cameras are to be kept along the four-kilometre stretch of the East-West Highway from Gondrang of Bharatpur Sub-Metropolitan City to Tikauli of Ratnanagar Municipality.

The CCTV cameras are being installed on poles together with the solar panels that supply the power to the system.

It has been planned to set the monitors at Tikauli-based Armed Forest Ranger Training Centre and consequently the Barandabhar forest region could be monitored live from Chitwan National Park Office, Nepal Army barrack in Kasara, Chitwan District Forest Office and District Police Office, said Chitwan National Park In-Charge Ram Chandra Kandel.

As wild animals in a large number roam around the highway, the system would help in investigations of wildlife deaths, said Kandel.

He added that the installation of cameras would also help in reducing the number of wildlife deaths, controlling the vehicle speed and minimising poaching and other criminal activities in the region.

The installation is expected to complete in 10 days.