The Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, an eco-sensitive zone in India, has been subject to forest land clearance, digging, and construction activities on at least three animal corridors. This is significant because these activities are contrary to the 2019 Supreme Court of India order that stated, “No new construction shall be permitted on private lands which form part of the nine identified animal corridors.”
A Closer Look at the Animal Corridors
Animal corridors play a crucial role in wildlife conservation, ensuring safe passage for animals between two isolated habitats. Known also as wildlife corridors, they are mainly of two types: functional and structural. Functional corridors refer to areas where there is recorded movement of wildlife, while structural corridors are contiguous strips of forested areas that connect otherwise fragmented blocks of landscape. When human activities impact structural corridors, functional corridors expand due to increased animal use.
The Kaziranga Animal Corridor Situation
A special committee formed by the Supreme Court recommended the delineation of nine animal corridors in the Kaziranga National Park (KNP). These include Amguri, Bagori, Chirang, Deosur, Harmati, Hatidandi, and Kanchanjuri located in Nagaon district and Haldibari and Panbari corridors in Golaghat district of Assam. The report suggested that structural corridors should be free of human disturbances except for forestry and wildlife management practices. However, functional corridors could have regulated multi-use with restrictions on land use change.
Significance of Animal Corridors
These corridors are vitally important for various animals like rhinos, elephants, tigers, and deer who flee the flooded Kaziranga during monsoon months for safety. These animals retreat to the hills of Karbi Anglong district beyond the highway bordering the tiger reserve’s southern boundary. Once the rains clear, these animals return to the grasslands.
Insight into Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve
Located in Assam, the Kaziranga National Park covers 42,996 hectares and is the largest undisturbed and representative area in the Brahmaputra Valley floodplain. It was declared a National Park in 1974, a Tiger Reserve in 2007, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. BirdLife International also recognizes it as an Important Bird Area. The park is home to the world’s most one-horned rhinos and more than 250 seasonal water bodies, with the Diphlu River running through it.
Other Noteworthy National Parks in Assam
Assam is also home to other national parks that make significant contributions to wildlife conservation. These include Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, Manas National Park, Nameri National Park, and Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park. Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is another notable area as it has the highest density of one-horned rhinos in the world and is second only to Kaziranga National Park in terms of Rhino numbers in Assam.