Kaziranga at a Crossroads: Development, Conservation and the ESZ Debate

For over a century, Assam has been characterised by the lush grasslands, dense marshes and variety of wildlife found in Kaziranga National Park, but now it might be under threat. The Assam Government’s proposed plan to reduce the Eco-Sensitive Zone around the Park to as little as 1 km has raised alarms among environmentalists. An Eco-Sensitive Zone is a buffer zone around protected ecological sites where all industrial activities are restricted and managed by the Union Ministry. The Kaziranga National Park has a default buffer of 10 km, as a site-specific ESZ has not yet been established. The Assam Government has therefore suggested reducing the ESZ buffer zone to between 1 & 3 kms depending on the site, to allow more development activities, including the building of a stadium in Bokakhat.

The main issue is this: Does development take precedence over conservation, or does conservation take precedence over development? Both sides have compelling arguments.

Environmentalists have expressed concerns over this plan, citing concerns about the safety of the wildlife of the park and the possibility of the grasslands shrinking around the park, decreasing habitable areas for animals to breed and live in. The Government argues that the default buffer zone is not optimum for the Park and is actively holding back development projects in the State.

The residents of the villages around Kaziranga, who have historically been attached to the park as forest staff, guides, mahouts and much more, have also come out in support of the Government’s plan, arguing that the site-specific approach would help more populated areas around the park get developed and potentially see more tourism. On the other hand, the Opposition in Assam has been critical of this plan, especially Gaurav Gogoi, the MP from Jorhat. He claims that commercial interests are being given priority over ecological ones in this plan and has been protesting over it. He has, in turn, been criticised for using the issue to only strengthen his political stance in Assam rather than enact any actual plan for the conservation of Kaziranga.

Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Chief Minister of Assam, has criticised the Opposition for failing to see the bigger picture. He claims that a blanket 10 km ESZ will negatively impact various communities and businesses near the national park, and a thorough survey needs to be done to study the impact and their proposed plan would serve the communities better. Another big issue has arisen relating to mining near Kaziranga. The Supreme Court recently questioned the Assam Government over their inaction on illegal mining and quarrying activities near Kaziranga. It is feared that if the ESZ is reduced it will lead to further coal mining and quarrying in the area, destroying the habitats of various species of wildlife.

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Looking into this controversy, one thing is certain. The Government’s plan needs to be carefully scrutinized and revised in order to protect the wildlife of Kaziranga. Even though the development opportunities the plan provides are immense, it happens way too often that conservation measures are compromised for commercial purposes. The State needs to be serious in striking a balance between their conservation efforts and their developmental goals. Kaziranga is home to various endangered and rare species, and the onus falls on the Government to care for their interests in addition to their people’s interests. Any final plan that is made needs to weigh the consequences of its actions heavily and make measures for the same. The wildlife, the flora, the local communities and the land all need to be considered in making this plan a reality. The Assam Government has an opportunity to ensure growth for all the species under their aegis, and careful planning by the Government under immense scrutiny from the Opposition is essential for its success.

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