Assam CM cites SC order to defend 1-km Kaziranga eco-sensitive zone

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday defended the State government’s decision to notify a 1-km Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around Kaziranga National Park, asserting that the move aligns with a Supreme Court order and does not immediately alter the existing buffer norms.

Speaking to journalists in Guwahati, Mr. Sarma clarified that the default 10-km buffer zone around protected areas will remain in force until the Centre formally notifies the ESZ based on the State’s proposal. “Once the zone is notified, the distance specified in that notification will come into effect,” he said.

The Chief Minister cited a Supreme Court ruling that permits an ESZ of at least 1 km from the periphery of a protected area. “The Supreme Court said the ESZ can be 1 km. The 10-km provision will continue to apply until the ESZ is notified. This is not about reducing the existing zone,” he added.

Mr. Sarma argued that retaining a 10-km ESZ around Kaziranga, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the world’s most significant habitat for the one-horned rhinoceros, would severely affect thousands of residents in towns such as Bokakhat and Kaliabor. He said those criticising the decision did not fully understand the issue, and advised them to read the Supreme Court order before arriving at conclusions.

Detailing the notification process, the Chief Minister said the State Forest Department prepares the draft proposal, which is then sent to the Union government and forwarded to the National Board for Wildlife for approval. He pointed to the recent notification of a 1-km ESZ around Deepor Beel, a Ramsar wetland on the outskirts of Guwahati, as a precedent. “This implies no rule says the buffer zone has to be 10 km everywhere in the world,” he said.

The concept of a 10-km ESZ originates from a 2002 resolution adopted by the National Board for Wildlife under a national wildlife conservation strategy. In 2011, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issued formal guidelines asking State governments to submit site-specific ESZ proposals, with a general guideline of up to 10 km around protected areas.

This guideline was later challenged in the Supreme Court, which in June 2022 mandated that every national park and wildlife sanctuary maintain a minimum ESZ of 1 km, measured from the demarcated boundary of the protected area. The court also prohibited mining activities within ESZs. In April 2023, the court modified its order while retaining the mandatory 1-km clause.

The State government’s proposal has drawn criticism from environmental activists and conservationists, who express concern that a reduced buffer could open the door to increased industrial, tourism, and infrastructure projects near Kaziranga’s fragile ecosystem. They argue that the ESZ is essential to mitigate human-wildlife conflict, prevent habitat fragmentation, and control pollution and noise.

Kaziranga National Park, situated in the floodplains of the Brahmaputra River in central Assam, is home to about two-thirds of the world’s population of the Indian one-horned rhinoceros. It also harbours significant populations of tigers, Asian elephants, and wild water buffalo, and is recognised as an Important Bird Area. The park’s grasslands, wetlands, and forests make it one of India’s most ecologically rich reserves.

The final ESZ notification will be issued by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change after the National Board for Wildlife reviews the State’s proposal. Until then, the 10-km buffer remains in effect, according to the Chief Minister. The controversy underscores the wider national debate over balancing environmental protection with the needs of communities living near protected areas.