Assam Fails to Report Construction in Kaziranga Animal Corridors

On July 29, the Assam Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Department responded to an RTI application by stating that information on construction activities in Kaziranga’s animal corridors and Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) “cannot be provided” as the matter is “sub judice,” without specifying the case in question. This response, obtained by environmental activist Rohit Choudhury, marks the latest twist in a four-year standoff between conservationists and the state government over compliance with a Supreme Court order aimed at protecting the UNESCO World Heritage Site’s ecological integrity.

The dispute traces back to April 14, 2019, when the Supreme Court banned mining, stone quarrying, and new constructions on private land within nine animal corridors linking Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve to the Karbi Anglong hills. The order, prompted by Choudhury’s petition highlighting illegal quarrying, also mandated the constitution of two committees to delineate these corridors and enforce restrictions within the 10-km ESZ around the park. In March 2022, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), a panel constituted by the apex court, met with Assam’s Chief Secretary and officials in New Delhi, directing the state to submit a detailed list of constructions in the corridors and ESZ, along with permissions granted, photographs, and enforcement actions taken. The Chief Secretary reportedly agreed to provide the information “without delay.”

Yet, nearly four and a half years later, no such documentation has been furnished. Choudhury, leveraging the Right to Information Act, first approached the CEC on June 14, 2026, seeking updates. The CEC’s Officer on Special Duty, V.K. Panthari, replied on July 17 that the information was unavailable, noting that two reminders—to the Assam government on April 4, 2022, and March 5, 2026—had gone unanswered. Choudhury then filed a second RTI application with the Chief Secretary’s office on May 25, which was forwarded to the Environment Department. The department’s July 29 response, citing the case as “sub judice,” offered no clarity on which legal proceedings it referred to or when the impasse might resolve.

Kaziranga’s nine corridors, critical for the movement of endangered one-horned rhinos, elephants, and other wildlife, remain under threat from encroachments and infrastructure projects. The 10-km ESZ, mandated under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, is meant to regulate human activities that could disrupt the park’s ecosystem. However, the absence of transparency from the Assam government has raised concerns among conservationists about the effectiveness of the Supreme Court’s directives. The CEC’s records show that the state’s inaction persists despite repeated prodding, including a March 2026 reminder that preceded Choudhury’s latest RTI efforts.

What remains unclear is the precise legal hurdle cited by the Environment Department, the current status of the committees tasked with delineating corridors, and whether the state intends to comply with the court’s orders. With Kaziranga’s biodiversity increasingly vulnerable to habitat fragmentation, the delay in enforcing protections underscores the challenges of balancing development and conservation in ecologically sensitive regions.