Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Assam authorities locked down a five-kilometre radius around Gelaguri village on November 3. A female Royal Bengal tiger crossed over from West Bengal, triggering the move. District Magistrate Pankaj Chakravarty issued the order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. Officials acted fast. They identified a direct threat to livestock and human life.
The Kachugaon Division forest officer first spotted the beast near the Dotma Revenue Circle on November 2. The restricted zone covers Gelaguri, East Bongshigaon, West Dangarkhuti, North Bhalukmari, Dangarkhuti, and Ghoramari. Gatherings of five or more people are now illegal. Citizens cannot wander into forest patches without express permission from the Haltugaon or Kachugaon Divisional Forest Officers.
The district administration outlawed carrying firearms, daos, spears, traps, poison, and snares. You cannot pop firecrackers, bang drums, light fires, use flashlights, or blast loudspeakers. These actions hamper the capture teams. Private drones, photography, and video work are also off-limits. The order specifically mandates that authorities stop the spread of misinformation regarding the animal. Officials issued a sharp warning: "The administration has further prohibited the carrying of firearms, daos, spears, traps, poison and snares within the area."
Exemptions apply only to the Wildlife Trust of India, National Tiger Conservation Authority experts, police, the State Disaster Response Force, and government-authorized personnel. Violators face prosecution under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. These rules hold until officials declare the operation over.
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