Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: The Assam Congress is hitting the streets. On August 29, the party will stage a state-wide march to block plans for shrinking the Eco-Sensitive Zone around Kaziranga National Park. State Congress general secretary Ramanna Baruah issued a circular directing district committees to rally their workers against the move.
State officials want to shrink the buffer from the standard 10 kilometers down to a sliver between 1 and 3 kilometers. This zone acts as a protective shield where commercial activity remains heavily restricted. Critics argue the change invites mining and unchecked tourism into the park and the Karbi Anglong hills, a vital elephant corridor.
Environmentalists fear the move will spike human-animal conflicts and wreck the park's biodiversity. The UNESCO World Heritage Site stands to lose critical habitat if the government succeeds. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma insists the policy shift is about local people. Sarma stated the reduction is "intended to protect villagers living within the ESZ and safeguard their livelihoods."
Comments