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The Government of Assam has obeyed the order of the Supreme Court and has banned mining in the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) and Tiger Reserve.
The Supreme Court order was passed by a bench comprising Justices Arun Mishra and Deepak Gupta on April 12, 2019.
In addition to the ban on mining, the court ordered that “no new construction shall be permitted on private lands which form part of the nine identified animal corridors in the park”.
The Supreme Court’s order came after perusing a report filed by the Central Empowered Committee on the status of mining in the area along the Kaziranga National Park and Karbi Anglong Hills.
The order came on a plea filed by conservationist and activist Rohit Choudhury against illegal mining near the KNP. In his petition, he had said that more than 60 illegal stone quarries were in operation at the Karbi Anglong Hills, adjoining the national park, threatening its survival.
“It is hereby ordered that all types of mining and related activities along the southern boundary of the KNP and in the entire catchment area of rivers, streams and rivulets originating in the Karbi Anglong Hill Ranges and flowing into the KNP is hereby banned forthwith," a statement by the office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Service, Government of Assam, said on April 30, 2019.
The document added that a decision to this effect had been taken on April 29, 2019, in a meeting held at the office of the Additional Chief Secretary to the Government of Assam, Environment and Forest Department, Dispur for the implementation of the Supreme Court order.