Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday clarified that his earlier reference to a 1-km Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around Kaziranga National Park was specifically in the context of Bokakhat.
Speaking at a press briefing in New Delhi, Sarma said different parts of the Kaziranga landscape could require different ESZ limits, depending on factors such as wildlife movement.
“When I said I would create an Eco-Sensitive Zone, I said Bokakhat because there it does not need more than 1 km. But if you see Karbi Anglong, where there is elephant movement, then it might need 10 km. My answer was in the context of Bokakhat,” he said.
Sarma said there is currently no notified ESZ around Kaziranga and that the Centre has asked Assam to create one.
He said the Kaziranga landscape extends beyond the better-known Kohora area, covering parts of Biswanath, Gohpur, Kaliabor, Karbi Anglong and Bokakhat.
“Every kilometre is different,” he said, adding that areas with elephant movement could require a wider zone, while stretches along the Brahmaputra may not need the same extent.
The Chief Minister said the ESZ would be determined through an expert-led process. An expert committee will first prepare the proposal, which will then be submitted to the Centre.
The proposal would subsequently be examined by the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun and discussed by the National Board for Wildlife and conservationists before approval, Sarma said.
Assam currently has around four to five notified ESZs, with the latest one around Deepor Beel, he added.
Sarma also accused some sections of spreading misinformation about the proposed ESZ, saying such discussions could create fear among residents unfamiliar with the process of determining the zone.