Construction of resort on near Kaziranga park
Construction is in full swing on a resort near Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) in Assam in violation of a Supreme Court order banning building work on animal corridors. Work on the Green Ashiyana Resort is taking place on the Haldhibari animal corridor of KNPTR; the state forest department and the local administration are blaming each other for the flouting of the ban. This is the second instance of construction near KNPTR. In July last year, HT had reported about the construction of a building on the Kanchanjuri animal corridor of the park, a UNESCO world heritage site known as the largest habitat of one-horned rhinos. In April, 2019, acting on an application by animal activist Rohit Choudhury, the SC had “restrained” all mining along the southern boundary of KNPTR and in the entire catchment area of rivers/ streams and rivulets originating in the Karbi Anglong hill ranges and flowing into the park.
GUWAHATI: Construction is in full swing on a resort near Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) in Assam in violation of a Supreme Court order banning building work on animal corridors.
Work on the Green Ashiyana Resort is taking place on the Haldhibari animal corridor of KNPTR; the state forest department and the local administration are blaming each other for the flouting of the ban.
This is the second instance of construction near KNPTR. In July last year, HT had reported about the construction of a building on the Kanchanjuri animal corridor of the park, a UNESCO world heritage site known as the largest habitat of one-horned rhinos.
In April, 2019, acting on an application by animal activist Rohit Choudhury, the SC had “restrained” all mining along the southern boundary of KNPTR and in the entire catchment area of rivers/streams and rivulets originating in the Karbi Anglong hill ranges and flowing into the park. “No new construction shall be permitted on private lands which form part of the nine identified animal corridors,” the order said.
In September, the central empowered committee of the top court had written to the Assam chief secretary as well as chief wildlife warden, terming the violations a “serious issue” because they amounted to contempt of the court.
On January 4, P Sivakumar, director of KNPTR, wrote to the Golaghat deputy commissioner mentioning the construction of the Resort on an animal corridor and urging the district administration to take action against it.
Despite instructions by the forest department to remove the boundary wall over the stream and allow smooth movement of wild animals, the resort authorities didn’t do anything.
Golaghat deputy commissioner Bibhash Chandra Modi said the administration came to know about the construction two days ago. He said action would be taken against the resort soon and the SC order complied with.