Assam resident petitions UNESCO to halt elevated corridor near Kaziranga; cites major wildlife, ecological threats
GUWAHATI: An Assam resident has petitioned the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), requesting it to send a fact-finding team to the state to assess the ecological implications of a proposed 34.45 km-long elevated corridor along a national highway on the southern fringes of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. Prasanta Kumar Saikia, a native of Gomothagaon village in central Assams Nagaon district, has requested that the Government of India and the state government not proceed with the project until a thorough evaluation is completed. In a November 19 letter, Saikia urged UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany to ensure strict compliance with World Heritage Site conservation guidelines, particularly those related to safeguarding wildlife corridors and preventing habitat fragmentation. In October, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had told the media that the foundation stone for the elevated corridor would be laid by the year-end. Saikia said while the project is being aimed to reduce traffic congestion and prevent road kill incidents, especially during the monsoon floods, the long-drawn-out construction process itself is expected to cause significant disturbances to the parks endangered wildlife population. Kaziranga is one of the finest and the most picturesque wildlife refuges in South Asia, with a wide diversity of species and the largest undisturbed floodplain on the Brahmaputra. The site lies within a Conservation International-designated Conservation Hotspot, a WWF Global 200 Eco-region, and is one of the worlds Endemic Bird Areas, Saikia wrote in his letter. He further highlighted that the park is home to about 35 major mammal species, including 15 of Indias threatened Schedule I species; harbours the worlds largest population of Indian rhinoceros, lies within one of the worlds endemic bird areas and is home to over 300 bird species. As a nature-loving resident of India, I strongly oppose the proposed project, especially because the constructionalong the southern periphery of the Kaziranga National Park is in total violations of the World Heritage Convention, Saikia wrote. It is foreseeable that the prolonged earsplitting noise, vibrations, heavy machinery movement, and human activity involved in the elevated corridor construction are likely to immeasurably disrupt the free mobility along the animal corridors and ruthlessly disturb the breeding patterns of several endangered species in the wild habitat, he argued. Moreover, he said, the construction of such a huge physical infrastructure may adversely disturb the ecological balance of the fragile wild habitat, defeating the very purpose of conservation efforts undertaken over the years. He noted that the construction would irreversibly damage the integrity and outstanding universal value of Kaziranga. In view of Kazirangas global ecological importance and its recognition as a World Heritage Site, I earnestly request the UNESCO to kindly look into this matter, engage with the authorities, all the stakeholders, and try to find out immediate ways to avoid disturbing the endangered wildlife species, he urged.
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