Overview
- The Assam government announced it will ask the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for a site‑specific notification to cut Kaziranga’s default 10‑km eco‑sensitive zone to roughly 1 km, with officials saying 1–3 km is under consideration.
- Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma defended the move as relief for residents and businesses and cited Supreme Court guidance allowing site‑specific ESZs; the state and ministers have stressed the park’s legal boundary will not be altered.
- The National Tiger Conservation Authority and local conservationists have repeatedly warned that mining, quarrying and stone‑crushing in the Kaziranga–Karbi Anglong landscape destroy wildlife corridors and hydrology and have recommended bans on such activities.
- The announcement has sharply divided politics and communities: the Assam Congress led large protests alleging the change could give legal cover to mining and corporate projects, while hundreds of local residents staged rallies backing a smaller ESZ to protect livelihoods.
- The reduction is not immediate: the default 10‑km buffer stays in force until the Centre and MoEFCC complete technical review, NTCA input and any National Board for Wildlife process, and observers will watch whether approvals lead to new industrial permissions near the park.