GUWAHATI
An Assam government guesthouse is among 21 structures and truck terminals that have not been removed from the animal corridors of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, as sought by the Supreme Court.
In a letter to the State’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) on February 15, Kaziranga’s field director, P. Sivakumar updated the status of the removal of illegal construction and vehicle parking spaces on the nine animal corridors along the highway running south of the park.
The Supreme Court-formed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) had in October 2021 asked the Assam government to act against the encroachers. The CEC’s report had outlined 22 illegal constructions and vehicle or truck parking spaces in six of the nine animal corridors.
These corridors are Haldhibari, Bagori, Harmuty, Kanchanjuri, Chirang and Amguri.
According to the field director’s letter, none of the structures and parking spaces has been removed except for the boundary wall of a private resort on the Haldhibari corridor. The deadline expired in the first week of February. The Assam government had sought three months’ time from the CEC to take the necessary action. While five truck terminals were “continuing”, the status of some hotels, resorts, restaurants, residential buildings, shops, and a marriage hall was marked “not removed”.
Among the structures “not removed” is a government guesthouse on the Haldhibari corridor. The guesthouse is under the Forest Department’s Karbi Anglong East Division.
Clearing of natural patches and earth-cutting near a tea garden on the Kanchanjuri corridor was noted as “continuing”.
The Kaziranga field director sought necessary instruction to the deputy commissioners of the Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Nagaon for removing the illegal construction and banning vehicle parking on the sensitive animal corridors besides putting a stop to the clearing of natural patches and earth cutting.
The animals of Kaziranga use these corridors to move to and from the hills during the monsoon months when much of the 1,300 sq. km tiger reserve is flooded.
