In Brief
- Assam has not responded to Supreme Court panel on construction in Kaziranga corridors.
- 2022 committee sought immediate response on violations from Assam Chief Secretary.
- Panel emphasized adherence to April 2019 Supreme Court order on animal corridors.
- Concerns persist over ecological impact on Kaziranga’s wildlife habitat corridors.
Four years after the Supreme Court of India established a panel to oversee animal corridors in Kaziranga National Park, Assam remains silent on allegations of construction within these protected zones. The Central Empowered Committee (CEC), formed under the Supreme Court’s directive, sought an immediate response in March 2022 from the Assam Chief Secretary regarding activities violating the court’s April 12, 2019 order.
The CEC requested detailed information on unauthorized construction and other developmental activities occurring in each of the nine identified animal corridors. These corridors serve as critical passages for wildlife and their integrity is essential for maintaining ecological balance in the region.
So far, state authorities have neither furnished the requested data nor indicated steps taken to halt encroachments. This lack of response raises concerns about compliance with judicial orders aimed at conserving the habitat of Kaziranga's endangered species. Environmentalists warn that continued disturbances in the corridors could compromise animal movement and conservation efforts undertaken since the Supreme Court ruling.
The Supreme Court’s order in 2019 followed heightened awareness of the impact of infrastructure developments on wildlife corridors across India. Enforcement and monitoring have since been critical to guaranteeing the ecological protections envisaged by the court’s mandate.
