Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced plans to seek formal notification of the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) around Kaziranga National Park and reduce its extent from the existing default 10-kilometre limit to one kilometre.
During his visit to Bokakhat, Sarma said the state government would submit a proposal to the Centre within the next two months for formal notification and demarcation of the ESZ.
According to the Chief Minister, the ESZ currently extends up to 10 km by default as it has not yet been formally notified. He said reducing the zone to one kilometre after notification would ease several restrictions affecting development activities in areas surrounding Kaziranga.
Sarma also outlined several proposed development projects for Bokakhat, including the construction of a stadium and improvements to civic infrastructure.
"There are several development-related challenges in Bokakhat that we intend to address, including the development of a stadium, improvements to the town's infrastructure, and other key projects," he said.
The Chief Minister said preliminary discussions on the proposed projects had already been held and indicated that he would return to Bokakhat to assess the requirements in greater detail before finalising the plans.
He said several pending issues in the region had already been resolved, while some proposals had either been denotified or finalised.
Sarma said formal notification and demarcation of the ESZ would provide greater clarity regarding development regulations and help facilitate infrastructure projects in and around Bokakhat.
The proposed reduction is expected to ease restrictions on development activities in areas adjoining Kaziranga, where ESZ-related regulations have remained a longstanding concern for local residents and authorities.