A CORRESPONDENT
BOKAKHAT: Ignoring government rules and regulations and damaging the natural environment, a section of people has constructed numerous tourist lodges in the Kaziranga region, creating serious problems for local residents. Apart from entertaining tourists, a few lodges have been hosting lavish weddings with budgets worth crores of rupees. Without considering the inconvenience caused to local residents, students, or wildlife, high-volume music is played during such events, leading to unrest in the area.
As higher secondary, HSLC, and various school examinations are currently underway, two luxury lodges located in Chepenakobowa and Pilkhana recently hosted multi-crore weddings where loud music and fireworks disrupted the environment. Due to disturbances affecting students’ studies, local residents gathered at night to protest at the concerned lodges.
According to allegations, even after informing the Kohora police about the matter, no effective action was taken, compelling local residents to intervene themselves. As a result, tensions nearly escalated during the night.
Tourists who visit Kaziranga seeking peace and relief from busy urban life have also expressed dissatisfaction over the disturbance. Many tourists who need to wake up early for elephant safaris usually go to bed early, but continuous loud music late into the night at certain lodges has caused them significant inconvenience.
It is noteworthy that despite repeated violations by some tourist lodge owners, neither the police nor the Bokakhat sub-divisional administration have taken action. Importantly, although numerous tourist lodges have emerged in the Kaziranga region, no specific guidelines have been formulated by the Golaghat district or Bokakhat sub-divisional administration to regulate them.
It may be mentioned that when members of a regional organization and two journalists from Kaziranga attempted to stop such illegal activities at one lodge, a case was filed against them by lodge staff, forcing them to attend court proceedings in Golaghat for several years.
Concerned citizens have expressed that unless the administration prepared clear guidelines for tourist lodges in time, Kaziranga may face serious problems in the future.
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