In Photos: Assam Govt Burns 2,479 Rhino Horns on World Rhino Day
The activity was carried out on the occasion of World Rhino Day.
The activity was carried out on the occasion of World Rhino Day today, to convey a strong message that rhino horns do not posses medicinal properties and hence need not be stored.
(Photo: Anjana Dutta)
In a first of its kind event, the Assam government on Wednesday, 22 September, burnt 2,479 horns of the greater one-horned rhino on the occasion of World Rhino Day, to bust the myth that the rhino horns possess medicinal properties and hence need not be preserved.
Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma was present at the event at the sporting field of Bokakhat.
The horns, which were preserved for several years, were burned on Wednesday, using a total of six three-tier giant gas furnaces.
M K Yadava, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and HoF, Assam Forest Department had earlier said that Rhino horns from Barpeta, Morigan, Barpeta, Mangaldoi, Tezpur Nagaon, BTR, Golaghat, and Kohora were deposited in the Bokakhat treasury.
On 16 September, the state Cabinet had unanimously decided to burn 2,467 pieces of the 2,623 rhino horns stocked at the state's treasuries at this public event.
The state however will be preserving 94 rhino horns as archive properties for academic purposes and 50 for court cases.
On Tuesday, 21 September, Parimal Suklabaidya, the state's Environment Minister said in a statement:
Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma poses with a rhino horn
Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurates the event holding a Rhino horn
Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma poses with a rhino horn
Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurates the event holding a Rhino horn
Forest Department officials and police arrange rhino horns prior to the event
Forest Department officials and police arrange rhino horns prior to the event
Police arrange rhino horns on the furnace
Police arrange rhino horns on the furnace
Police arrange rhino horns on the furnace
Police arrange rhino horns on the furnace
Police ready the furnace for burning rhino horns at the event
Police arrange rhino horns on the furnace
All the 2000 plus horns, which were preserved for several years were burned today using a total of six giant gas furnaces, each with three tiers.
A burning furnace at the event
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