Why Assam wants to shrink Kaziranga National Park’s eco-sensitive zone – explained

A
o e-ho ed
hi oce os
g azes
i
the
Bu apaha
Ra ge
of
Kazi a ga
Natio al
Pa k
(PTI
Photo)

At
daw ,
Kazi a ga
wakes
to
mist
isi g
ove
its
tall
g assla ds.
Elepha ts
move
th ough
the
wilde ess
as
jeep
t acks
wi d
past
ma shes,
while
o e-ho ed
hi os
eme ge
f om
the
g ass.By
afte oo ,
the
la dscape
t a sfo ms
i to
a
t ail
of
wildlife
sighti gs,
wild
wate
buffalo,
dee ,
elepha ts
a d,
fo
visito s,
glimpses
of
o e
of
I dia’s
most
celeb ated
atu al
habitats.But
beyo d
the
pa k’s
bou da y,
a othe
debate
is
u foldi g.
How
much
space
should
be
left
betwee
Kazi a ga’s
p otected
la dscape
a d
the
tow s,
homes
a d
busi esses
that
su ou d
it?The
Assam
gove me t
has
p oposed
eplaci g
the
existi g
default
10-km
eco-se sitive
zo e
(ESZ)
a ou d
Kazi a ga
Natio al
Pa k
a d
Tige
Rese ve
with
a
site-specific
ESZ
exte di g
betwee
o e
a d
th ee
kilomet es
f om
the
pa k
bou da y.The
p oposal
has
t igge ed
a
debate
ove
how
fa
co se vatio
est ictio s
should
exte d
beyo d
a
p otected
a ea
a d
how
the
eeds
of
commu ities
livi g
alo gside
Kazi a ga
ca
be
bala ced
with
wildlife
p otectio .The
state
gove me t
says
the
p oposal
will
ease
est ictio s
o
housi g,
healthca e,
i f ast uctu e
a d
local
busi esses
while
co ti ui g
to
p otect
Kazi a ga.
It
has
also
mai tai ed
that
the
move
will
ot
alte
the
bou da y
of
the
atio al
pa k
o
its
status
as
a
UNESCO
Wo ld
He itage
Site.

The
oppositio
a d
co se vatio ists,
howeve ,
have
aised
co ce s
that
a
a owe
ESZ
could
weake
safegua ds
a ou d
a
ecosystem
whose
ecological
footp i t
exte ds
beyo d
the
pa k’s
legal
bou da y.

What
is
a
eco-se sitive
zo e?

A
eco-se sitive
zo e
is
a
egulato y
buffe
a ou d
p otected
a eas
such
as
atio al
pa ks
a d
wildlife
sa ctua ies.
It
is
i te ded
to
p ovide
a
additio al
laye
of
p otectio
to
ecologically
impo ta t
a eas
outside
a
p otected
a ea’s
bou da y.A
ESZ
does
ot
mea
that
eve y
huma
activity
is
automatically
p ohibited.
Activities
a e
classified
acco di g
to
thei
e vi o me tal
impact
a d
ca
be
p ohibited,
egulated
o
pe mitted
u de
the
applicable
ules.

Why
Assam
wa ts
a
smalle
ESZ

Chief
mi iste

Hima ta
Biswa
Sa ma
has
epeatedly
a gued
that
the
10-km
ESZ
a ou d
Kazi a ga
is
a
default
a a geme t,
athe
tha
a
site-specific
zo e
dete mi ed
afte
assessi g
local
co ditio s.O
August
8,
Sa ma
said
the
state
gove me t
would
submit
a
p oposal
to
the
Ce t e
to
educe
the
ESZ
f om
10
km
to
1
km,
citi g
the
eed
to
facilitate
developme t
a ou d
Kazi a ga,
i cludi g
the
co st uctio
of
a
stadium.He
late
cla ified
that
the
existi g
10-km
ESZ
would
emai
i
fo ce
u til
the
state’s
p oposal
is
fo mally
otified.”The
Sup eme
Cou t
has
said
that
a ou d
a
wildlife
sa ctua y,
the
eco-se sitive
zo e
will
o mally
be
1
km,
a d
if
equi ed,
it
ca
go
up
to
th ee
kilomet es.
U til
the
state
otifies
it,
the
eco-se sitive
zo e
will
emai
10
km.
The
mome t
it
is
otified,
it
will
be
educed
to
1
km,”
Sa ma
said.Sa ma
has
a gued
that
etai i g
a
u ifo m
10-km
buffe
would
b i g
la ge
populated
a eas
u de
the
egulato y
f amewo k
a d
est ict
developme t.”If
we
mai tai
10
km
all
a ou d
Kazi a ga,
the
eve ythi g
i
Kaliabo ,
Doboka,
Jakhalaba dha
will
be
fi ished,”
he
added.He
has
also
a gued
that
people
livi g
a ou d
Kazi a ga
eed
oppo tu ities
to
build
homes,
u
busi esses
a d
develop
basic
i f ast uctu e.”Local
people
have
to
u
busi esses
to
su vive.
Eve
the
Numaliga h
Refi e y
will
have
to
be
closed
dow
if
the
10
km
a ea
a ou d
Kazi a ga
is
otified
as
ESZ,”
he
said.
“If
people
livi g
a ou d
Kazi a ga
a e
displaced,
who
will
p otect
Kazi a ga?”
Sa ma
added.The
chief
mi iste
has
also
said
eside ts
should
be
able
to
pu sue
livelihood
oppo tu ities,
i cludi g
busi esses
i volvi g
GI-tagged
p oducts,
while
co ti ui g
to
coexist
with
wildlife.Sa ma
has
poi ted
to
the
geog aphical
sp ead
of
Kazi a ga
a d
its
adjoi i g
a eas,
sayi g
the
pa k
exte ds
beyo d
the
Koho a
a ge
towa ds
Biswa ath
Ghat.A
u ifo m
10-km
zo e
f om
the
pa k
bou da y,
he
said,
could
affect
a eas
towa ds
Gohpu
a d
Biswa ath
Cha iali.The
gove me t
has
simila ly
cited
developme t
equi eme ts
i
Bokakhat,
i cludi g
a
p oposed
mode
stadium
a d
othe
civic
i f ast uctu e,
as
examples
of
p ojects
that
could
face
est ictio s
u de
the
existi g
a a geme t.”Si ce
Kazi a ga
has
ot
yet
bee
fi ally
otified,
the
default
eco-se sitive
zo e
is
10
km.
O ce
the
otificatio
is
completed,
we
will
p opose
a
scie tifically
defi ed
1-km
eco-se sitive
zo e.
That
will
emove
u ecessa y
est ictio s
a d
allow
us
to
u de take
developme t
wo ks
i
Bokakhat
while
co ti ui g
to
p otect
wildlife,”
Sa ma
said,
acco di g
to
local
ews
epo ts.

What
did
the
SC
say?

I
Ju e
2022,
the
Sup eme
Cou t
di ected
that
a
ESZ
of
at
least
1
km
should
be
decla ed
a ou d
p otected
fo ests,
atio al
pa ks
a d
wildlife
sa ctua ies.The
cou t
subseque tly
modified
aspects
of
that
o de
afte
states
a d
the
Ce t e
a gued
that
a
u ifo m
app oach
was
ot
p actical
i
all
a eas.It
also
ecog ised
that
a
igid
app oach
could
c eate
difficulties
fo
people
livi g
a ou d
p otected
a eas
a d
pote tially
i c ease
huma -a imal
co flict.The
o e-kilomet e
figu e,
the efo e,
should
ot
be
u de stood
as
a
automatic
i st uctio
that
eve y
p otected
a ea
must
have
exactly
a
1-km
ESZ.The
exte t
of
a
ESZ
ca
va y
acco di g
to
local
co ditio s.
This
is
the
basis
o
which
the
Assam
gove me t
is
seeki g
a
site-specific
app oach
fo
Kazi a ga.U til
the
p oposed
ESZ
is
fo mally
otified,
howeve ,
the
existi g
default
10-km
a a geme t
co ti ues
to
apply,
acco di g
to
the
state
gove me t.

What
is
Assam
gove me t’s
sta d?

The
Assam
gove me t
mai tai s
that
a
eco-se sitive
zo e
(ESZ)
is
ot
a
bla ket
ba
o
co st uctio
o
tou ism.
While
activities
co side ed
e vi o me tally
ha mful,
i cludi g
mi i g
a d
ce tai
polluti g
activities,
face
est ictio s,
othe
developme t
ca
be
pe mitted
subject
to
p esc ibed
egulatio s.The
gove me t
also
a gues
that
ESZs
eed
ot
be
u ifo m
a d
ca
va y
acco di g
to
the
ecological
a d
developme tal
co ditio s
of
a
pa ticula
a ea.
It
has
cited
existi g
ESZs
i
Assam
to
suppo t
its
case.A ou d
Amcha g
Wildlife
Sa ctua y,
fo
i sta ce,
the
otified
ESZ
va ies
f om
170
met es
to
8.1
km
f om
the
sa ctua y
bou da y.
A ou d
Hollo gapa
Gibbo
Wildlife
Sa ctua y,
it
a ges
f om
ze o
kilomet es
alo g
the
i te state
bou da y
with
Nagala d
to
22.54
km
i
othe
a eas.The
state
says
Kazi a ga
should
simila ly
have
a
site-specific
ESZ
based
o
its
ecological
cha acte istics
a d
the
eeds
of
su ou di g
commu ities.The
ESZ
debate
has
also
become
i te twi ed
with
a
sepa ate
co t ove sy
ove
tou ism
i f ast uctu e
ea
Kazi a ga.
CM
Hima ta
Biswa
Sa ma
has
ejected
allegatio s
that
the
p oposed
eductio
is
aimed
at
facilitati g
a
five-sta
hotel
p oject
ea
the
pa k.“The e
is
o
co ectio
betwee
the
hotel
p oject
a d
the
ESZ
debate.
The
ESZ
f amewo k
p ima ily
est icts
mi i g
a d
ce tai
polluti g
a d
e vi o me tally
damagi g
activities,
athe
tha
p ohibiti g
hotels
o
tou ism
facilities.
If
somebody
is
p otesti g
agai st
the
hotel
o
the
g ou ds
that
it
will
fall
withi
a
ESZ,
they
do
ot
u de sta d
what
a
ESZ
is,”
he
said.Sa ma
has
a gued
that
tou ism
is
impo ta t
to
Kazi a ga’s
eco omy
a d
cited
Jim
Co bett
as
a
example
of
tou ism
i f ast uctu e
a ou d
p otected
a eas.Howeve ,
the
egulatio s
do
impose
est ictio s
o
ce tai
tou ism
p ojects.
A
2025
Gauhati
high
cou t
eco d
co ce i g
tou ism
i f ast uctu e
oted
that
ew
comme cial
hotels
a d
eso ts
a e
p ohibited
withi
o e
kilomet e
of
the
p otected-a ea
bou da y
o
the
applicable
ESZ
limit,
whicheve
is
ea e .
Tou ism
p ojects
beyo d
that
dista ce
but
withi
the
ESZ
emai
subject
to
applicable
egulatio s
a d
pla s.

A
bala ce
betwee
wildlife
a d
people

At
the
hea t
of
the
Assam
gove me t’s
a gume t
is
the
questio
of
how
co se vatio
ules
affect
people
livi g
a ou d
Kazi a ga.Thousa ds
of
eside ts
live
i
the
pa k’s
su ou di g
a eas,
with
livelihoods
li ked
to
ag icultu e,
tou ism,
local
busi esses
a d
othe
eco omic
activities.
The
state
gove me t
has
a gued
that
the
existi g
10-km
a a geme t
ca
make
it
difficult
fo
commu ities
to
build
homes
a d
develop
basic
i f ast uctu e.That
a gume t
has
also
fou d
suppo t
amo g
some
eside ts.
O
August
18,
hu d eds
of
people
f om
a eas
i cludi g
Bago i
a d
Kutho i
allied
f om
Kutho i
to
Haldhiba i
i
suppo t
of
the
p oposed
eductio .
Reside ts
said
est ictio s
associated
with
the
10-km
zo e
had
affected
thei
eve yday
lives
a d
backed
a
site-specific
app oach.They
a gued
that
commu ities
livi g
alo gside
Kazi a ga
should
have
oom
to
build
homes,
pu sue
livelihoods
a d
imp ove
basic
i f ast uctu e
while
co ti ui g
to
coexist
with
wildlife.The
ally
came
a
day
afte
Assam
Co g ess
wo ke s
held
a
demo st atio
ea
Kazi a ga
opposi g
the
p oposal,
u de sco i g
the
wide
debate
ove
whe e
to
d aw
the
li e
betwee
p otecti g
a
f agile
ecosystem
a d
allowi g
commu ities
a ou d
it
to
g ow.

Co g ess
aises
mi i g
co ce s

The
Assam
Co g ess
has
st o gly
opposed
the
p oposed
eductio .
State
pa ty
p eside t
a d
Lok
Sabha
deputy
leade
of
oppositio
Gau av
Gogoi
led
a
p otest
at
the
Koho a
a ge
a d
dema ded
that
the
p oposal
be
withd aw .Gogoi
alleged
that
the
move
could
p ovide
a
“legal
cove ”
fo
mi i g
a d
weake
wildlife
co se vatio .”Rampa t
illegal
coal,
sto e
a d
sa d
mi i g
pat o ised
by
the
uli g
dispe satio
has
t igge ed
catast ophic
floods
ac oss
uppe
Assam,
dest oyi g
ove
4,000
houses
a d
claimi g
mo e
tha
100
lives,”
Gogoi
alleged.He
also
claimed
that
defo estatio
a d
hill
mi i g
had
pushed
tige s
a d
elepha ts
towa ds
huma
settleme ts,
wo se i g
huma -a imal
co flict.The
allegatio s
have
bee
ejected
by
the
state
gove me t.
Sa ma
has
accused
the
oppositio
of
politicisi g
the
issue
a d
a gued
that
c iticism
should
be
based
o
a
assessme t
of
the
p oposed
ESZ’s
likely
e vi o me tal
impact.Mi i g
is
pa ticula ly
sig ifica t
i
the
debate
because
it
is
amo g
the
activities
subject
to
st ict
est ictio s
withi
ESZs.The
Gauhati
high
cou t’s
Ma ch
2026
o de
oted
that
mi i g
was
p ohibited
withi
the
applicable
10-km
ESZ
u de
the
p evaili g
a a geme t.Reduci g
the
ESZ
could
the efo e
cha ge
the
egulato y
f amewo k
applicable
to
a eas
that
cu e tly
fall
withi
the
10-km
zo e.

Why
co se vatio ists
a e
co ce ed

Kazi a ga’s
wildlife
does
ot
always
emai
withi
the
pa k’s
legal
bou da y.
Eve y
yea ,
whe
floodwate s
ise,
a imals
move
towa ds
highe
g ou d
outside
the
pa k.Fo
co se vatio ists,
this
makes
the
la dscape
su ou di g
Kazi a ga
a
impo ta t
pa t
of
the
la ge
ecosystem.Wildlife
co se vatio ist
Jadav
Paye g
said,
“[Kazi a ga
Natio al
Pa k]
is
ot
just
Assam’s
p ide,
but
it’s
a
wo ld
he itage
site.
The
p oposal,
if
impleme ted,
would
have
a
d astic
effect
o
wildlife
i
the
atio al
pa k.”He
said
hi os,
dee
a d
elepha ts
leave
Kazi a ga
du i g
a ual
floods
a d
move
towa ds
ea by
highe
a eas
fo
safety.Acco di g
to
Paye g,
educi g
the
ESZ
could
est ict
these
moveme ts
a d
leave
a imals
vul e able.
He
also
questio ed
the
eed
to
educe
the
ESZ
to
facilitate
co st uctio
activities
ea
the
atio al
pa k.E vi o me talist
Kavita
Ashok
also
aised
co ce s
ove
the
p oposed
eductio .”Te mi g
it
as
t espassi g
i to
the
a imal
te ito y
would
be
fai
as
educi g
the
eco-se sitive
zo e
f om
10
km
to
1
km
is
dishea te i g
to
the
wildlife
a d
local
commu ity,”
Kavita
said.“The
outes
will
be
dis upted
a d
a imals
would
be
displaced
f om
thei
te ai .
T affic,
developme t
a d
maybe
eve
co st uctio
of
a y
so t
will
c eate
imbala ce
i
the
othe wise
peaceful
Kazi a ga
zo e,”
she
added.The
co ce
is
pa ticula ly
eleva t
because
Kazi a ga
is
a
flood-depe de t
ecosystem.
A ual
floods
eple ish
its
wetla ds
a d
g assla ds,
but
seve e
floodi g
ca
also
become
deadly
fo
wildlife.Mo e
tha
130
wild
a imals,
i cludi g
at
least
six
hi os,
died
du i g
the
2024
floods,
acco di g
to
the
co se vatio
assessme t.
The
deaths
i cluded
117
hog
dee ,
two
samba
dee ,
a
hesus
macaque
a d
a
otte .I
2017,
mo e
tha
350
a imals
died
du i g
floods
a d
vehicle
collisio s
as
wildlife
moved
th ough
co ido s
towa ds
highe
g ou d.This
makes
the
la dscape
outside
Kazi a ga
mo e
tha
just
a
developme t
zo e.
Fo
a imals
movi g
out
du i g
floods,
the
su ou di g
a eas
ca
become
tempo a y
efuge
a d
passage
outes
to
safe
g ou d.

Ecosystem
that
exte ds
beyo d
bou da y

The
debate
is
the efo e
ot
simply
about
whethe
the
ESZ
should
be
1
km,
3
km
o
10
km.
The
la ge
questio
is
what
lies
withi
those
bou da ies.Kazi a ga
is
ecog ised
i te atio ally
fo
its
exceptio al
biodive sity.
U esco
desc ibes
the
pa k
as
a
impo ta t
habitat
fo
the
o e-ho ed
hi oce os
a d
othe
th eate ed
species,
i cludi g
wild
wate
buffalo,
swamp
dee ,
elepha ts
a d
tige s.The
2025
Co se vatio
Outlook
Assessme t
also
highlights
Kazi a ga’s
impo ta ce
fo
a e
a d
e da ge ed
mammals
a d
bi ds.
It
desc ibes
the
pa k
as
the
wo ld’s
majo
st o ghold
of
the
I dia
o e-ho ed
hi oce os
a d
otes
its
sig ifica t
populatio s
of
wild
wate
buffalo,
swamp
dee
a d
Be gal
tige s.The
assessme t
ide tifies
seve al
p essu es
o
the
la dscape,
i cludi g
floodi g,
t affic
alo g
the
highway
bo de i g
the
pa k,
tou ism
p essu e,
wildlife
moveme t
th ough
co ido s,
i vasive
species,
livestock
g azi g
a d
huma -wildlife
co flict.U pla ed
tou ism
i f ast uctu e
a ou d
the
pa k
has
also
aised
co ce s
because
co st uctio
ca
affect
a imal
moveme t
th ough
wildlife
co ido s.This
makes
the
exact
mappi g
of
the
p oposed
1–3
km
ESZ
c itical.
A
smalle
zo e
may
ot
ecessa ily
mea
weake
co se vatio
if
it
is
scie tifically
desig ed
to
p otect
the
most
se sitive
a eas.Its
effective ess,
howeve ,
will
depe d
o
whethe
impo ta t
wildlife
co ido s,
flood
escape
outes,
wetla ds,
g assla ds
a d
othe
ecologically
se sitive
a eas
a e
i cluded
i
the
fi al
otified
zo e.The
Assam
gove me t
has
epeatedly
st essed
that
educi g
the
ESZ
would
ot
educe
the
a ea
of
Kazi a ga
Natio al
Pa k.Kazi a ga
was
i sc ibed
o
the
U esco
Wo ld
He itage
List
i
1985.
The
Wo ld
He itage
p ope ty
cove s
42,996
hecta es
a d
is
ecog ised
fo
its
exceptio al
biodive sity
a d
its
impo ta ce
as
a
habitat
fo
the
o e-ho ed
hi oce os.The
p oposed
ESZ
lies
outside
the
p otected-a ea
bou da y.
A
cha ge
i
the
ESZ
the efo e
does
ot,
by
itself,
cha ge
the
bou da y
of
the
atio al
pa k
o
its
Wo ld
He itage
status.At
the
same
time,
U esco
has
histo ically
st essed
the
impo ta ce
of
p otecti g
a eas
a ou d
Kazi a ga
a d
e cou aged
I dia
to
p ovide
a
legal
basis
to
p otect
the
buffe
zo e
south
of
the
pa k,
i cludi g
the
Miki
Hills
a d
Ka bi
Plateau.

What
happe s
ext?

The
Assam
gove me t
has
said
its
p oposal
will
go
th ough
the
p esc ibed
p ocess
i volvi g
the
Ce t e
a d
scie tific
exami atio
befo e
a
fi al
ESZ
is
otified.U til
the ,
the
existi g
default
10-km
a a geme t
will
co ti ue
to
apply.
The
fi al
otificatio
will
be
c ucial
because
it
will
dete mi e
ot
just
the
width
of
the
ESZ,
but
also
which
villages,
oads,
developme t
p ojects,
wildlife
co ido s
a d
ecologically
se sitive
a eas
fall
withi
it.

That
is
likely
to
be
the
eal
test
of
the
p oposal.Fo
Kazi a ga,
the
challe ge
is
to
p otect
a
la dscape
that
does
ot
e d
at
a
li e
o
a
map
while
e su i g
that
commu ities
livi g
alo gside
o e
of
I dia’s
most
impo ta t
atio al
pa ks
have
space
fo
homes,
livelihoods
a d
esse tial
i f ast uctu e.The
debate
ove
1
km
ve sus
10
km
is
the efo e
ot
me ely
about
a
umbe .
It
is
about
fi di g
the
poi t
whe e
the
eeds
of
people
a d
the
moveme t
of
wildlife
ca
coexist
without
o e
comi g
at
the
cost
of
the
othe .

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