Supreme Court panel pulls up Assam Government for inaction on mining near Kaziranga
The rhino habitat has been in focus after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced a plan to reduce its Eco-Sensitive Zone from the default 10 km
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Context
The (CEC), a panel constituted by the , has strongly criticized the Assam government for failing to stop illegal mining in the ecological corridors and catchment areas surrounding the . Despite a 2019 order prohibiting mining along the park's southern boundary in the Karbi Anglong hills, the state has not effectively implemented the ban or notified the nine identified animal corridors, highlighting significant governance failures in environmental protection.
UPSC Perspectives
Environmental
This issue underscores the critical importance of eco-sensitive zones (ESZs) and wildlife corridors in biodiversity conservation. The , renowned for its one-horned rhinoceros population, relies on the adjacent Karbi Anglong hills as an essential refuge during annual floods. The failure to notify the nine identified animal corridors isolates the park's wildlife, exacerbating human-wildlife conflict (HWC), as evidenced by elephant deaths in the . Unregulated mining in the Parkup Pahar range and catchment areas disrupts the natural drainage system, leading to habitat degradation. The CEC's demand for a comprehensive Watershed Drainage Analysis Report highlights the need for landscape-level conservation strategies rather than isolated protected area management, a key theme in GS Paper 3.
Polity and Governance
The situation exposes a breakdown in the implementation of judicial directives and a lack of coordination between different tiers of governance. The (KAAC), which administers the district under the , is accused of bypassing environmental regulations and failing to present a holistic picture to the courts. This friction between autonomous district councils (seeking revenue from mining) and state/national conservation mandates highlights the complexities of decentralized governance in environmentally sensitive areas. The CEC's repeated warnings to the Assam Chief Secretary regarding non-compliance with the 2019 order reflect the persistent challenge of enforcing environmental jurisprudence at the grassroots level, relevant for GS Paper 2 discussions on statutory bodies and local governance.
Geographical
The geography of the region is central to the conflict. is situated on the floodplains of the . During the monsoon, these plains are inundated, forcing wildlife to migrate southwards to the higher elevations of the Karbi Anglong hills. The rivers and streams originating in these hills flow into the park, sustaining its wetland ecosystems. Mining activities in these catchment areas alter the hydrology, increasing sedimentation and potentially choking the park's water bodies. The Supreme Court's ban on mining in these specific watersheds recognizes the interconnectedness of upland and lowland ecosystems, a fundamental concept in physical geography and environmental impact assessments.