Why is Assam silent on hotels in Kaziranga animal corridor
The controversy revolves around regulations related to the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ).
The Assam government has not yet provided the necessary details about construction activities in the nine wildlife corridors of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, despite a request for information by a committee constituted by the Supreme Court in March 2022. The committee sought information on all construction activities within a 10-kilometre radius of the park's eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) following a 2019 Supreme Court order that prohibited mining and new constructions in these critical wildlife corridors.
According to a report by The Hindu,
the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) held a meeting with Assam government officials in March 2022 to discuss the implementation of the Supreme Court's directives. This order followed a petition highlighting the threat to Kaziranga's ecology from illegal stone mining. The order specifically restricted new constructions on private land within the identified wildlife corridors.
The CEC sent reminders in April 2022 and again in March 2026, but the Assam government has not submitted the requested information. Correspondence revealed that the CEC's Officer on Special Duty confirmed that no information had been received from Assam despite two formal reminders.
In response to a Right to Information (RTI) query, Assam's Department of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change stated that the information could not be provided as the matter was "sub judice." However, the department did not clarify which case was pending in court.
In the March 2022 meeting, the CEC requested a list of construction activities in each wildlife corridor, photographs before and after the demarcation of the corridors, names and positions of officials who permitted the constructions, and copies of the relevant licenses. The committee also sought details of actions taken to remove illegal constructions and issued notifications. Additionally, information on committees formed to demarcate corridors connecting Kaziranga to the Karbi Anglong hills was requested.
In recent years, Kaziranga National Park has been in the news for several reasons. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has supported reducing the usual 10-kilometre boundary of the eco-sensitive zone to 1 to 3 kilometres. Reports have also emerged that local activists have raised the issue of illegal sand mining in the Deihori River, which feeds Kaziranga's wetlands.
Amid ongoing legal and administrative processes, scientific studies have also highlighted the ecological significance of the Kaziranga area. Research has revealed the presence of a population of Greater Hog Badger in the park, about which little was previously known. This is a sensitive species, and its presence underscores the importance of keeping wildlife corridors unobstructed.
Camera trap surveys have also shown that these corridors are crucial not only for major wildlife like rhinos and tigers but also for the movement and survival of lesser-known species. Recent research indicates that the presence of such species is considered a sign of a healthy ecosystem.
A forest officer from Kaziranga said,
Greater Hog Badger are mostly found in areas where the ecosystem remains natural and largely untouched. Therefore, they are considered indicators of a good ecosystem.
At the centre of the controversy is a 10-acre plot of land located near the boundary of Kaziranga National Park. Kaziranga, situated in the northeastern state of Assam, is renowned for having the world's largest population of one-horned rhinos. This land, located near Kaziranga's busy Kohora Range, was acquired by the Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) in June 2024. The aim was to expand high-end tourism facilities around the park.
Recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kaziranga is considered one of India's most successful wildlife conservation stories. Its vast stretches of tall elephant grass, marshland, tropical forests, hills, and tea estates around the park attract wildlife enthusiasts from all over the world. Kaziranga was designated a Tiger Reserve in 2006 and is home to over 100 tigers. Spanning approximately 430 square kilometres, Kaziranga is divided into several ranges, with Kohora being its main tourist hub. According to park officials, more than 5.48 lakh tourists visited Kaziranga in 2025-26, including over 32,000 foreign tourists. This generated a revenue of approximately ₹11 crore. These figures have further bolstered the government's plan to develop tourism-related infrastructure in the region.
This plan began to take shape in 2023 when the Assam Cabinet approved a lease agreement with Jenipro Hotels. Jenipro Hotels is a group company of Saraf Hotel Enterprises, which is associated with the Hyatt Group of Hotels. According to the Greater Kaziranga Land and Human Rights Protection Committee (GKLHRPC), Juniper Hotels announced plans in July 2024 to develop a five-star hotel/resort in Kaziranga. GKLHRPC is a grassroots community organisation working in over 100 villages.
Juniper Hotels is co-owned by Saraf Hotels and Two Seas Holdings. Two Seas Holdings is affiliated with Hyatt Hotels Corporation. This development came to light when Juniper Hotels acquired a 100 per cent stake in Jenipro Hotels Private Limited. Jenipro leased the land from ATDC under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
At the heart of this entire controversy are India's eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) regulations. These aim to create a buffer zone between protected areas and commercial activities.
Under the second National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016), states were encouraged to declare areas up to 10 kilometres around national parks and wildlife sanctuaries as eco-sensitive zones under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
Subsequent changes were made to these protective provisions. In 2022, the Supreme Court ordered that there should be an ESZ of at least one kilometre from the boundary of all protected areas. The following year, the court clarified that the extent of such zones could vary based on local ecological conditions, ranging from 500 metres to 10 kilometres. Critics argue that reducing the buffer zone could open ecologically significant land to commercial interests.
Advocate Santanu Borathakur, representing 12 petitioners challenging the land acquisition in the Guwahati High Court, told 'The Telegraph',
This is extremely concerning from both ecological and social perspectives.” The decision to reduce the eco-sensitive zone from 10 kilometres to just one kilometre needs to be seriously examined. The direct consequence is clear—a vast area will open up for construction, and much of this land could fall under the control of corporate groups, politicians, or other influential interests.”
According to Borathakur,
Even more concerning is that local indigenous people are being displaced from their land. He also mentioned the impact on local communities. According to Borathakur, many families have land documents or have been farming on the land for generations under government-recognised allotments. But now, some families are being told by revenue officials that legally the land is not theirs.
Borathakur says,
People are asking a straightforward question—if this is not our land, then where is our land?
He stated that when displacement cannot be avoided, it is the administration's responsibility under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 to identify alternative land and provide adequate compensation to the affected people. Local residents and GKLHRPC have consistently protested against the land acquisition. The organisation alleges that the entire process violates protections related to land rights and legal procedures.