Assam CM defends move to reduce Kaziranga Eco-Sensitive Zone to 1 km from the default 10 km

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma defended the government's decision to reduce the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around Kaziranga National Park to just 1 km from the default 10 km buffer zone. The CM made the statement in Guwahati, citing a Supreme Court ruling that permits an ESZ of at least 1 km from a protected area's boundary.

Sarma clarified that the 10-km ESZ will continue to apply until the official notification, which is currently pending. He argued that retaining a 10-km ESZ would negatively impact thousands of people living in nearby towns, but insisted the criticism was from those who did not fully understand the issue. The process of notifying an ESZ involves the State Forest Department proposing the zone, which is then forwarded to the Central government and the National Board for Wildlife.

Sarma provided an example of a recent ESZ notification around Deepor Beel, a Ramsar Site in Guwahati, which was set at 1 km, indicating that the 10-km buffer is not a universal requirement. The 10-km ESZ guideline originated from a resolution in 2002, with formal guidelines issued in 2011 by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

The Supreme Court ruled in June 2022 that each protected area must have a minimum ESZ of 1 km, and prohibited mining within these zones. The court's order was modified in April 2023, maintaining the 1-km requirement.