Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: The Central Empowered Committee is calling out the Assam government for failing to stop mining in the Karbi Anglong hills. Despite clear orders from the Supreme Court to preserve the area near Kaziranga National Park, the digging continues. A March 3, 2026 letter from the committee to the Assam Chief Secretary confirms the status quo. The government is now eyeing a reduction of the eco-sensitive zone around the park.
The committee, which acts on behalf of the Supreme Court, stated, "The matter had been raised repeatedly but had not received adequate attention." Officials have not mapped the streams and rivers originating in the hills even after six years. The Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council also failed to show the court the full extent of mining operations in the region.
Wildlife remains at risk. Nine animal corridors connecting the park have not been notified by the state despite a formal request for action made on May 6, 2021. Mining activity persists inside the Karbi Anglong Elephant Reserve, contributing to frequent human-elephant conflict and animal deaths. The state currently lacks a wildlife management plan to curb this damage.
The committee submitted a list of recommendations on May 30, 2025, but the state has not followed through. The CEC now demands the government notify all nine corridors and follow previous conservation instructions. They also ordered the State Law Department to share the Supreme Court's Kaziranga conservation ruling with every court across Assam. Further violations will head back to the Supreme Court.
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