1 week ago
Assam Land Dispute Pits Kaziranga Conservation Against Luxury Tourism
A community in Assam says it is losing farmland near Kaziranga National Park.
The government acquired 10 acres for a planned luxury hotel.
The families say they have used the land for generations and should be allowed to keep it.
They also worry that more hotels could leave less space for animals.
Conservationists say the land is part of an important route and refuge for wildlife.
The government’s tourism plans are intended to bring visitors, jobs, and revenue.
Local groups are challenging the land acquisition in court.
An activist who protested the project was arrested under a national security law.
The dispute is about how to balance tourism, wildlife protection, and the rights of local people.
Assam acquired 10 acres near Kaziranga National Park for a proposed five-star hotel and resort.
Forty-five Adivasi families say the land has been cultivated by their communities for generations.
Residents and conservationists warn construction could reduce wildlife habitat and harm local livelihoods.
Critics are challenging the acquisition, the reduction of the eco-sensitive zone, and alleged failures to provide due process.
Activist Pranab Doley was arrested during protests and later rearrested under the National Security Act.
- Who
- Forty-five Adivasi families, local residents, conservationists, human-rights advocates, the Greater Kaziranga Land and Human Rights Protection Committee, Assam authorities, and tourism companies are involved.
- What
- A dispute is underway over the acquisition of 10 acres near Kaziranga for a proposed five-star hotel and resort.
- Where
- Inlay Pathar, near Kaziranga National Park’s Kohora range, across from Hatikhuli Tea Estate and near the Karbi Anglong hills in Assam, India.
- When
- The Assam Tourism Development Corporation acquired the land in June 2024; the hotel plan was announced in July 2024, and Pranab Doley was detained on July 13 and rearrested on July 29.
- Why
- Authorities and developers seek to expand high-end tourism, while residents and critics oppose the project over land rights, displacement, wildlife habitat, and the reduction of the eco-sensitive zone.
Community and Conservation Critics
Tourism Authorities and Developers
Land ownership and displacement
Community and Conservation Critics
Affected families and their supporters say they have cultivated the land for generations, possess land titles or recognized allotments, and are being pushed out without adequate formal recognition, alternative land, or compensation.
Tourism Authorities and Developers
Authorities acquired the land for tourism development and have reportedly made a compensation proposal, which the community organization says families rejected as informal.
Environmental impact
Community and Conservation Critics
Residents and conservationists warn that construction near Kaziranga could reduce animal space, disrupt an important wildlife corridor and flood refuge, and undermine conservation and local livelihoods.
Tourism Authorities and Developers
The state-backed project is part of a broader effort to expand tourism infrastructure around Kaziranga, which attracts large numbers of visitors and generates significant revenue.
Protests and arrests
Community and Conservation Critics
Residents and legal advocates allege that arrests and criminal cases are being used to discourage opposition, citing Pranab Doley’s rearrest under the National Security Act.
Tourism Authorities and Developers
Authorities have denied allegations that criminal proceedings were used to suppress dissent; the article reports that Doley was detained for participating in protests and later rearrested under preventive-detention provisions.
Key facts
- Land involved
- 10 acres near Kaziranga National Park
- Families affected
- 45 Adivasi families, according to the article
- Acquiring agency
- Assam Tourism Development Corporation
- Project structure
- A public-private partnership involving leased land and a proposed five-star hotel or resort
- Hotel companies
- Juniper Hotels, Saraf Hotel Enterprises, Two Seas Holdings, and Hyatt Hotels Corporation are associated with the project
- Kaziranga visitors
- The park recorded more than 548,000 visitors in 2025-26, including over 32,000 international tourists
- Legal dispute
- Petitioners have challenged the acquisition in the Gauhati High Court
Quotes
Santanu Borthakur
A lawyer representing petitioners challenging the acquisition in the Gauhati High Court.
“The struggle will continue on two fronts. There will be a legal battle through bail applications, petitions, writs and challenges to the use of the National Security Act. At the same time, people will continue to protest on the streets. We are trying to protect the rights of indigenous communities.”
telegraphindia.com
“If these hotels and projects come up, Kaziranga will be destroyed. Space for animals will be reduced. Local people will be affected. Other resorts, other services, local livelihoods, they may all be sidelined.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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