Assam Cong opposes Kaziranga ESZ cut, alleges move to aid corporate mining
The Assam Congress on Monday staged a protest near Kaziranga National Park against the state government's proposal to reduce the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around the World Heritage Site, alleging that the move was aimed at facilitating corporate mining.
Scores of Congress workers, led by state party president and Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, gathered at Kohora Range and raised slogans demanding protection of Kaziranga and withdrawal of the proposal.
Addressing the protesters, Gogoi alleged that the move to shrink the ESZ was part of a "deep-rooted conspiracy" to benefit corporate groups, including the Adani and Ambani groups, and facilitate large-scale commercial mining in the neighbouring Karbi Anglong hills.
He accused BJP leaders, ministers and MLAs of encroaching upon elephant corridors to build resorts and of forcibly dispossessing Adivasi families of land to construct hotels in Engle Pathar.
Gogoi further said, "Rampant illegal coal, stone and sand mining patronised by the ruling dispensation has triggered catastrophic floods across Upper Assam, destroying over 4,000 houses and claiming more than 100 lives."
He said unabated deforestation and hill mining have also forced tigers and elephants into human settlements, escalating man-animal conflict.
Targeting Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Gogoi alleged that instead of cracking down on the 'mining mafia', the government was granting them legal protection.
He demanded the immediate release of activist Pranab Doley, arrested under the NSA for opposing the government's "anti-people and ecology-destroying policies" of forcibly acquiring land to construct a five-star hotel near the Kaziranga National Park.
Commercial activities in the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) or the buffer zone of a forest is either prohibited, regulated or allowed as per the set norms.
The controversy over Kaziranga National Park's ESZ stems from the Assam government's proposal to reduce the buffer area around the World Heritage Site from the default 10 km to 1 km.
The opposition and activists allege that the cut is aimed at facilitating corporate mining and tourism in the forest area along with Karbi Anglong hills, which is also an elephant corridor.
Environmentalists have also warned that a smaller buffer zone will increase man-animal conflict and threaten the fragile biodiversity.
On the other hand, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has strongly defended the move to cut the buffer zone and said the reduction is to protect villagers living inside the ESZ and safeguard their livelihood.
