Corbett: There was a request from the Corbett Tiger Reserve for 15 life jackets and the repair of four patrolling boats. These life jackets and boat repairs are required as guards need to patrol the reserve even during monsoon in boats. As during the monsoon roads get washed off and most of the lowlying area gets flooded, the only way to commute and patrol inside the park is on boats. Currently the park has four boats but all of them are grounded because of some minor engineering hitch. WTI has taken engineers to the spot and made all four boats water-worthy. In addition the 15 life jackets that were provided to the boats ensure that guards have a lifeline in case of a mishap.Coincidentally, the first insurance payment that has been made out under the Van Rakshak insurance policy is to a guard who drowned in Corbett National Park. Life jackets such as these have also been provided to Dibru-Saikhowa, Kaziranga and Pabitora National Parks in Assam and is being sent to Sunderbans in West Bengal in a future installment. Park by park the Wild Aid programme is proactively trying to provide life saving devices to all important protected areas to reduce the loss of human life.
