Assam CM defends plan to shrink Kaziranga eco-sensitive zone to 1 km

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has defended the Assam government's plan to reduce Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve's Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) from the default 10 km to a minimum of 1 km. Sarma said the move responds to decade-old opposition from residents of Bokakhat and Kaliabor, who had approached the Supreme Court over restrictions on business and livelihood. He argued that a 10-km zone would require closing the Numaligarh Refinery and cited a Supreme Court judgment allowing a 1-3 km buffer, as reported by The Assam Tribune.

The Hindu notes that the ESZ, a buffer zone to minimise human impact on protected areas, was mandated by the National Board for Wildlife in 2002 and typically extends up to 10 km unless a state gets a site-specific notification approved by the Ministry of Environment. Sarma has pointed to the case of Deepor Beel, where a draft notification prescribes a variable ESZ, and to the Supreme Court's April 2023 ruling that a uniform 1-km ESZ is not feasible.

The proposal has drawn sharp criticism from conservationists and forest officials. The National Tiger Conservation Authority had recommended an immediate ban on mining and quarrying across the Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong landscape to protect wildlife corridors. Grassroots activist Jadab Payeng has urged the government to retain the 10-km ESZ for the UNESCO World Heritage Site, warning that a narrower zone could increase human-animal conflict and industrial pressure on biodiversity.