Conservationists and forest officials have expressed strong reservations over the Assam government’s proposal to reduce the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve to just 1 km. They fear the move could seriously damage the park’s biodiversity and weaken long-term wildlife conservation efforts.If implemented, the decision could provide a regulatory shield to several polluting industrial units operating around Kaziranga, particularly in areas of Karbi Anglong beyond the reserve’s southern boundary. Conservationists believe the reduced ESZ could also encourage further industrial expansion in the region.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had earlier recommended an immediate ban on mining, quarrying and stone-crushing activities across the entire Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong landscape. This recommendation is in direct contrast to the proposed reduction of the ESZ.
Several stone quarries, mining sites and crusher units are currently located in Karbi Anglong, around 2-5 km from the southern boundary of Kaziranga Tiger Reserve. Conservationists fear that limiting the ESZ to 1 km could leave many of these units outside the regulated zone and potentially encourage more such activities.In its field assessment, the NTCA had warned that mining, quarrying and stone-crushing units between Kaziranga and the Karbi Anglong hills were damaging wildlife corridors and critical habitats used by long-ranging species such as Indian elephants and tigers.
The NTCA’s April 20, 2018 report also highlighted the impact of these activities on water bodies. Mining and quarrying were found to be contributing to the drying and siltation of several natural streams and rivulets flowing from the Karbi Anglong hills towards Kaziranga.
Despite the concerns raised by the NTCA, the situation has reportedly not improved significantly. Several polluting industrial units are still operating in the area, while some have been shut down and others remain involved in legal proceedings.A senior forest official said some units continue to operate, including a few allegedly in a clandestine manner. According to the official, despite directions from the NTCA and the Supreme Court, there has been no sustained crackdown on all polluting units.
The official also warned that reducing the ESZ to 1 km would leave many industrial units outside the regulated area while their environmental impact would continue to affect Kaziranga. He said the move could also trigger a fresh surge in industrial activity in areas beyond the 1-km limit.Given Kaziranga’s importance as a habitat for the world’s largest population of the Indian one-horned rhinoceros, the NTCA had recommended that all mining, quarrying and stone-crushing activities in the Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong landscape be stopped immediately.
The authority also recommended that the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change set up a committee to review permissions and clearances granted to stone crushers, quarries and mining units operating in the region.The NTCA further suggested that the Assam Forest Department prepare a Tiger Conservation Plan covering the core, buffer and corridor areas and take steps to notify an appropriate Eco-Sensitive Zone around Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.
