Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Assam Congress workers hit the streets in Dibrugarh on August 30 to stop a government plan. They want to block the state from shrinking the Eco-Sensitive Zone around Kaziranga National Park. The proposal seeks to cut the buffer zone from 10 kilometers down to a range of one to three kilometers. Workers see this as a dangerous move for the environment.
The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee and the Dibrugarh District Congress Committee teamed up for the march. Protesters started at the Puja Field at Borbaruah Tea Estate and walked to Chukapha Bhawan. Bipul Rabha, the Dibrugarh Congress president, slammed the move as a threat to the UNESCO World Heritage Site. He stated, "The government’s proposal of reducing the ESZ of Kaziranga National Park from 10 km to 1 km will have an adverse effect on the wildlife and environment of Kaziranga National Park. We will not allow the BJP-led government to damage Kaziranga National Park, which is our pride."
This demonstration follows a wave of protests across the state on August 29. Padayatras took place in Sonitpur, Lakhimpur, Hailakandi, Karimganj, Tinsukia, Karbi Anglong, and Golaghat. In Guwahati, police blocked Wazed Ali Choudhury, Ripun Bora, and Mira Borthakur from leaving the party office. Workers tried to push past barricades during that standoff.
The state government now faces intense pressure to drop the proposal. Officials claim the buffer zone change affects what commercial activities stay legal. The party maintains that the government made a hasty decision that ignores the needs of the sensitive ecosystem.
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