Assam plans to reduce Kaziranga National Park eco-sensitive zone to 1km

The Assam government has announced plans to reduce the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) surrounding the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve from its current 10-kilometer radius to 1 kilometer. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that the current 10-km zone exists by default because it has not yet been formally notified. He intends to submit a proposal to the central government within two months to formally demarcate a 1-km zone, which he says will facilitate infrastructure projects and ease development restrictions in areas such as Bokakhat.

Environmental activists have raised significant concerns regarding the proposal, arguing it threatens the habitat of the one-horned rhinoceros and other wildlife. Critics suggest that shrinking the buffer zone will reduce essential grasslands and breeding grounds. Some activists have indicated they may approach the Supreme Court, noting that the reduction could violate a 2022 apex court order regarding the protection of these ecological areas.