📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Tisha Mukherjee
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Kaziranga Villagers Support 1‑km Eco‑Sensitive Zone Plan, Cite Livelihood Concerns
✍️ NDTV Top
🗓 19 Aug 2026, 10:40 AM
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Residents of villages surrounding Kaziranga National Park have welcomed Assam’s proposal to trim the Eco‑Sensitive Zone to a 1‑km radius, saying it safeguards their livelihoods while still protecting the park.
Kaziranga National Park’s neighbouring villages have expressed approval for the state government’s latest proposal to reduce the Eco‑Sensitive Zone (ESZ) surrounding the park to a 1‑kilometre radius. The move is intended to create a more site‑specific buffer that accommodates both conservation goals and local development needs.
Villagers said the narrower ESZ would ease restrictions on agriculture, livestock rearing and small‑scale enterprises that have been hampered by broader protection rules. They argue that a tighter zone will allow them to pursue livelihood activities without compromising the park’s core wildlife habitats.
Assam’s forest department has indicated that the revised ESZ will be reviewed by the central Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change before final approval. If sanctioned, the change could set a precedent for balancing ecological preservation with community welfare in other protected areas across the country.
Villagers said the narrower ESZ would ease restrictions on agriculture, livestock rearing and small‑scale enterprises that have been hampered by broader protection rules. They argue that a tighter zone will allow them to pursue livelihood activities without compromising the park’s core wildlife habitats.
Assam’s forest department has indicated that the revised ESZ will be reviewed by the central Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change before final approval. If sanctioned, the change could set a precedent for balancing ecological preservation with community welfare in other protected areas across the country.