Tiger Reserve & Eco-Sensitive Zones: Kaziranga Case Explained

Subject: GS 3: Environment

Context: The Assam Government plans to approach the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) for approval of a site-specific Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) of around 1–3 kilometres around the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.

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• The proposal has triggered a debate over how India should balance urban expansion and local livelihoods with wildlife corridors, habitat connectivity and ecological security.

What is an Eco-Sensitive Zone?

An Eco-Sensitive Zone is a legally notified area around protected areas such as national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.

• Legal Basis: ESZs are notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
• Core Purpose: They function as a transition zone between highly protected ecosystems and human-dominated landscapes.
• Conservation Role: They help reduce the impact of industries, infrastructure and intensive human activity on protected ecosystems.
• Not a Complete No-Development Zone: ESZs generally follow a system of prohibited, regulated and permitted activities, rather than banning all human activity.
• General Guideline: The 2011 framework provided for an ESZ extending up to 10 kilometres around protected areas, but the actual extent can be determined according to local ecological conditions.

About Kaziranga

The ESZ question cannot be examined merely by looking at the boundary of the national park.

• Location: Kaziranga lies in Assam and extends across Golaghat, Nagaon, Sonitpur and Biswanath districts.
• Brahmaputra Floodplain: The park occupies the low-lying alluvial floodplain of the Brahmaputra River, with annual floods playing an important role in maintaining its ecosystem.
• Grassland-Wetland Mosaic: Its landscape contains tall grasslands, marshes, wetlands and tropical forests, creating diverse habitats.
• Beels and Water Channels: Numerous beels, oxbow lakes and interconnected streams form an important part of the ecosystem.
• Karbi Anglong Connection: The southern side connects with the Karbi Anglong hills, which provide elevated refuge to wildlife when large parts of Kaziranga are inundated.
• Rich Wildlife: The landscape supports the Great Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros, Asian elephants, Royal Bengal Tigers, wild water buffaloes and eastern swamp deer.

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Why is the ESZ Around Kaziranga in Focus?

The controversy arises from the proposed move towards a 1–3 kilometre site-specific buffer.

• Developmental Argument: The Assam Government has argued that a wider ESZ could restrict the expansion of nearby towns and affect housing, infrastructure, tourism and local economic activity.
• Ecological Argument: Conservationists fear that a narrower buffer could increase pressure from construction, tourism, quarrying, mining and other activities close to sensitive habitats.
• The key issue is therefore not simply the numerical width of the ESZ, but whether the proposed boundary adequately protects the ecological functions of the larger Kaziranga landscape.

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