Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has proposed reducing the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve from the current default 10 km to 1 km, arguing that the move would follow Supreme Court guidelines and allow development in nearby towns.
The state plans to send a site-specific proposal to the Centre, with Sarma citing projects including a proposed stadium. However, conservationists, including wildlife expert Jadav Payeng and Aaranyak secretary general Bibhab Talukdar, have warned that a narrower buffer could affect wildlife movement during floods.
The latest clarification is that the existing 10-km provision will remain in force until a new ESZ is formally notified.
Development vs Conservation
The debate centres on what an ESZ should achieve: allowing people living around protected areas to carry out everyday activities while preventing development from damaging the habitats and ecological links on which wildlife depends. Sarma has argued that the 10-km provision is a default measure because Kaziranga does not yet have a final site-specific ESZ notification.
He said the Supreme Court had specified a minimum 1-km ESZ and that the zone could extend to 3 km depending on circumstances. He also questioned the practicality of maintaining a 10-km buffer around settlements such as Bokakhat, Kaliabor and Jakhalabandha.
The Chief Minister said the proposed change is necessary for development activities, including a stadium, and that the state intends to submit its proposal to the Centre within two months. Importantly, however, the proposal does not mean the 10-km protection has already been removed. On August 12, Sarma clarified that the existing 10-km provision would continue until the state formally notifies the new ESZ.
Conservationists have raised a different concern. Jadav Payeng warned that reducing the ESZ could have a “drastic effect” on Kaziranga’s wildlife. He pointed out that during the annual floods, rhinos, elephants and deer often leave the park for higher ground. If development fragments these routes, animals could find themselves trapped or pushed into closer contact with people.
Why The Buffer Matters
Kaziranga cannot be viewed only through the boundary of its protected area. The wider Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong landscape is ecologically connected, with animals moving between the park and surrounding hills, particularly during floods.
The Assam Forest Department describes the Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong Elephant Reserve as a critical landscape covering around 3,270 sq km. The state has also identified nine animal corridors connecting the Karbi Anglong Hills with Kaziranga.
The scale of wildlife dependent on this landscape makes the discussion significant. The 2024 elephant estimation recorded 1,183 elephants within Kaziranga National Park and 1,554 across the larger Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong Elephant Reserve.
The March 2022 rhino census recorded 2,613 greater one-horned rhinos in Kaziranga. The Assam Forest Department says the park supports more than 70% of the world’s one-horned rhinoceros population.
The Supreme Court’s position also needs to be understood in full. In June 2022, it directed that protected forests, national parks and wildlife sanctuaries should have an ESZ of at least 1 km. However, in April 2023, the court modified the blanket application of that direction after concerns were raised that a uniform approach could affect local communities and increase human-wildlife conflict. The court retained restrictions, including a prohibition on mining within 1 km of protected areas.
The legal position around Kaziranga has consequently remained tied to the absence of a final site-specific notification. A Gauhati High Court order in March 2026 recorded that, in the absence of a final ESZ notification or state proposal submitted to the Centre, the 10-km default buffer remained operative around Kaziranga.
At the same time, development and conservation do not necessarily have to be opposing goals. A ₹6,950-crore Kaziranga Elevated Corridor project, for instance, has been designed with a 35-km elevated wildlife corridor intended to facilitate animal movement, reduce human-wildlife conflict and improve connectivity.
Bypasses at Jakhalabandha and Bokakhat are also planned to reduce congestion in nearby towns.
Bibhab Talukdar of Aaranyak has stressed that the central issue is not simply whether the buffer measures 10 km or 1 km, but whether the “spirit of the ESZ” is properly implemented. He also emphasised the need to balance conservation with the livelihood needs of communities living around protected areas.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Development is essential for communities living around protected areas, but development should not come at the cost of the very ecosystems that sustain people and wildlife alike. Kaziranga’s floods have repeatedly demonstrated that its ecological boundaries do not end where a park boundary is drawn.
A thoughtful, science-led ESZ should therefore consider wildlife corridors, flood routes, local livelihoods and long-term ecological risks rather than relying only on a fixed number of kilometres. At the same time, conservation cannot mean ignoring the genuine infrastructure and economic needs of neighbouring communities.
The way forward lies in transparent consultations involving local residents, scientists, conservationists and authorities, with decisions based on evidence rather than competing political or commercial pressures.
Can Assam find a development model that gives local communities better opportunities while keeping Kaziranga’s wildlife corridors intact?
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