21st Dec., 2004

On 17 December 2004, hearing a petition filed by the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) in 2003, the Central Empowered Committee asked the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to look into encroachments in the six Additions to Kaziranga National Park.

The Committee reminded Mr. A.D.N. Rao, counsel for the MoEF, that Kaziranga would celebrate its centenary in February 2005, and the issue of conflicting land rights would have to be resolved.

Kaziranga, a World Heritage Site, has lost large tracts of land due to erosion by the Brahmaputra River. The government had notified six Additions to the National Park, which would increase habitat area for the animals, as well as serve as corridors to higher land during the annual floods. Unfortunately, the future of the Additions is uncertain due to continuous litigation in the Guwahati High Court by cattle grazers and settlers.

Mr. Rao stated that he had received permission from the MoEF to proceed with the filing of Special Leave Petitions to settle the issue. These will be filed in the first week of January 2005.