Assam yet to share data on Kaziranga corridor constructions despite panel's reminders

The Assam government has not provided the Supreme Court-constituted Central Empowered Committee (CEC) with details of construction activities along the nine identified animal corridors of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, despite repeated reminders. This was revealed through an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by environmental activist Rohit Choudhury.

In a meeting held on March 3, 2022, the CEC had asked the Assam Chief Secretary to provide a list of construction activities along the nine corridors and within the 10-km default Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) of the park. The Chief Secretary had agreed to submit the information "without delay," according to the record of discussion of that meeting.

In response to Mr. Choudhury's RTI application, the CEC's Officer on Special Duty, V.K. Panthari, stated on July 17 that the committee had not received any information from the Assam government. He noted that two reminders had been sent — one on April 4, 2022, and another on March 5, 2026 — but no response was received. Copies of the reminders were attached with the reply.

The CEC was acting on the Supreme Court's April 14, 2019, order, which banned all forms of mining, stone quarrying, and related activities along the southern boundary of the one-horned rhino habitat. The order also prohibited new construction on private lands within the nine animal corridors that connect Kaziranga with the Karbi Anglong hills. These corridors are vital for the movement of wildlife, including elephants, tigers, and rhinos, between the park and the hills, especially during the annual floods in the Brahmaputra.

The nine corridors are considered essential for the long-term survival of Kaziranga's wildlife. During the monsoon floods, many animals move to higher grounds in Karbi Anglong using these pathways. Obstructions in these corridors can lead to increased human-animal conflict and disrupt the ecological balance.

Mr. Choudhury, a resident of Golaghat district, had filed a petition in the Supreme Court highlighting rampant illegal stone quarrying that was threatening the park's ecology. Kaziranga is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is home to the world's largest population of one-horned rhinos.

In his RTI application to the CEC on June 14, Mr. Choudhury sought an update on the action taken by the Assam government in response to the March 2022 meeting. He listed six specific items: a list of activities in each of the nine corridors; photographs of constructions before and after their delineation; names and designations of officers who granted permissions, along with copies of licenses and permissions; action taken to stop constructions within the 10-km ESZ; the names of officers responsible for enforcing ESZ provisions; a copy of the notification constituting two committees for delineation of the corridors; and copies of notices issued for removal or demolition of illegal constructions.

The CEC replied that this information was not available with it. The committee's two reminders to the Assam government indicate that the state has not complied with the request.

Separately, Mr. Choudhury also filed an RTI application on May 25 with the office of the Chief Secretary, seeking the same information. The application was forwarded to the Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Department in June. In a reply on July 29, the department said the information "cannot be provided" as the case is sub judice. It did not specify which case was pending.

The lack of response comes amid renewed attention on Kaziranga's Eco-Sensitive Zone. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said he favours an ESZ varying from 1 km to 3 km instead of the default 10 km. Recently, a Karbi Anglong-based activist flagged illegal sand mining in the Deihori River, a feeder of Kaziranga's wetlands, within the ESZ.

The Supreme Court's 2019 order was aimed at protecting the fragile ecology of Kaziranga and the vital hill catchments of Karbi Anglong. The CEC is entrusted with overseeing the implementation of such orders. The absence of information from the Assam government leaves the committee unable to assess the compliance status of the court's directives.