Archive · 13 Aug 2026
Assam's 1 km Kaziranga Eco-Sensitive Zone Plan Draws Criticism
Kaziranga is a big national park in Assam, India, famous for one-horned rhinos.
Around the park, there is an area called an Eco-Sensitive Zone that protects nature.
Right now, that zone is about 10 kilometres wide, but the Assam government wants to change it to 1 kilometre.
The government says the Supreme Court of India said 1 kilometre is the minimum needed.
Some people, like environmental activists and the Congress party, are worried.
They say animals like rhinos and elephants need lots of space, especially during floods.
Floods make animals walk to nearby hills, and a smaller zone might block them.
The government says 10 kilometres would hurt people who live in nearby towns.
It also says animals will be safe because a special bridge for them is being built over the highway.
Many people are arguing about what is best for both animals and people.
The Assam government plans to notify a 1 km Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, replacing an interim 10 km default buffer.
The Supreme Court's 3 June 2022 order in the T.N. Godavarman case set a minimum 1 km ESZ, with wider interim buffers continuing until a final notification.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on 12 August 2026 that the 10 km provision will remain until the ESZ is notified, and the proposal will go to the Centre within two months.
Activists, Congress leaders and conservationist Jadav Payeng warn the move endangers wildlife corridors used by rhinos and elephants during annual floods.
A 34.5 km elevated corridor is being built on the national highway (old NH-37) along the park's southern border to help animals cross safely.
- Who
- Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the state government, opposed by the Congress party, environmental activists and conservationist Jadav Payeng.
- What
- A proposal to formally notify a 1 km Eco-Sensitive Zone around Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, replacing the interim 10 km default buffer.
- When
- Announced in August 2026 and clarified by the Chief Minister on 12 August 2026, with the proposal to be sent to the Centre within two months.
- Where
- Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve in Assam, India, and surrounding towns such as Bokakhat, Kaliabar, Doboka and Jakhalabandha.
- Why
- The government says it follows the Supreme Court's 2022 minimum 1 km ESZ direction and is needed to ease restrictions on stalled civic development; critics say it weakens wildlife protection.
Critics (Activists, Congress and Conservationists)
Assam Government (CM Himanta Biswa Sarma)
Shrinking the eco-sensitive zone
Critics (Activists, Congress and Conservationists)
Reducing the buffer from 10 km to 1 km will have a drastic effect on wildlife and weakens protection around a UNESCO World Heritage Site, potentially violating the Supreme Court's 2022 directions.
Assam Government (CM Himanta Biswa Sarma)
No notified 10 km zone exists; 10 km is only an interim default, and the Supreme Court set 1 km as the minimum, so notifying a 1 km ESZ follows the law.
Impact on wildlife corridors
Critics (Activists, Congress and Conservationists)
A 1 km zone will trap rhinos, elephants and other animals that need to move to the Karbi Anglong hills during annual floods, blocking vital corridors.
Assam Government (CM Himanta Biswa Sarma)
Identified wildlife corridors remain protected by courts and the National Green Tribunal, and a 34.5 km elevated corridor is being built so animals can cross the highway safely.
Development vs conservation
Critics (Activists, Congress and Conservationists)
The move clears the way for luxury hotels (proposed Hyatt and Taj Hotels) and commercial tourism, benefiting industrialists at the park's expense.
Assam Government (CM Himanta Biswa Sarma)
A permanent 10 km buffer would severely affect thousands of residents in towns like Bokakhat and block legitimate projects such as a modern stadium; the Congress is hypocritical given its push to relax ESZ rules in Kerala.
- Protected area
- Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Proposed ESZ
- 1 km
- Current interim buffer
- 10 km
- Legal basis
- Supreme Court order of 3 June 2022 (minimum 1 km ESZ)
- Chief Minister
- Himanta Biswa Sarma
- Next step
- Proposal to be submitted to the Centre within two months
- Elevated corridor
- 34.5 km on the national highway (old NH-37)
- Key critics
- Congress party, environmental activists, Jadav Payeng