Assam Pushes to Cut Kaziranga's Buffer Zone by Nearly 90 Percent

The Assam government plans to approach the Centre seeking a reduction in the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) around Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) from the existing 10-km extent to 1 km. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the state would submit its proposal to the Union government within the next two months, after which the revised zone would require consideration and notification by the Centre. The proposed change could alter the extent of restrictions and regulatory measures applicable to areas surrounding the protected reserve.

Sarma said Assam was currently following the 10-km provision as a default arrangement around Kaziranga. He had also raised the issue on August 8, arguing that the 10-km area being treated as the ESZ around the national park was not necessarily based on the specific requirements of the protected area. The state government now intends to formally seek a change through the Centre rather than unilaterally altering the existing arrangement.

The eco-sensitive zone around protected areas is intended to provide a regulated area outside their boundaries where certain activities can be monitored or restricted to reduce potential threats to wildlife and ecosystems. Kaziranga is particularly significant because it is a major wildlife habitat and one of India's best-known protected areas. Any change to the extent of its ESZ is therefore likely to attract attention from authorities, conservation groups and communities living around the reserve.

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The Assam government will have to submit its proposal for consideration by the Union government, which will determine whether the requested reduction can be approved and formally notified. Until that process is completed, the existing arrangement around Kaziranga remains in place. The proposed reduction from 10 km to 1 km is consequently a policy request at this stage and does not yet represent a notified change to the protected area’s eco-sensitive zone.

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