Stay away from construction of high-end hotel near Kaziranga, NGO Forum tells Assam CM

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 2, 2024

Assam Environmental NGO Forum, an umbrella organisation of several environmental organizations, has urged Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to stop the move for the constrction of two high-end hotels blocking an animal corridor near UNESCO’s World Heritage Site Kaziranga National Park in Assam’s Golaghat district.

The Assam government has approved the proposal for setting up two 5-star hotels –Tata Group and Chicago-based Hyatt Hotel Corporation in Hatikhuli and Inglay Pothar close to Kaziranga in a bid to promote tourism in the state.

Tata Group will set up the hotel at its own land at Hatikhuli Tea Estate, while Hayat Group will set up the hotel on government land at Inglay Pothar (behind Hatikhuli Tea Estate) measuring 30 bighas which is under the possession of Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC).

Hatikhuli Inglay Pothar is located near the Kohora range at Kaziranga which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In a letter to chief minister Sarma, the organization said: “As per information available in the public domain, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the state government and Hyatt Hotels on September 23, 2023, for construction of a five-star hotel spreading over a 30-acre area at Hathikuli Inglay Pothar near the Kohora Range— a traditional habitat of elephants.”

“There have also been concerns over coming up of a luxury resort in the Hatikhuli tea estate, an area frequented by mega faunas like elephants, rhinos, tigers, wild buffaloes, deer etc,” the letter stated.

“It is more obvious during high flood when wild animals, escaping flood waters are seen crossing the national highway to seek refuge in the Karbi Anglong Hills adjacent to the proposed sites. The concerns of the local people are therefore not unfounded—as these areas act as natural high grounds for a variety of wildlife during flood. Any alteration /obstruction in their migrating pathways would prove disastrous and the adjoining neighbourhoods/villages would bear the brunt as a consequence,” the letter also explained.

“We must never forget the undaunted perseverance of those who lived in the periphery but nurtured Kaziranga by following a policy of co-existence. The Supreme Court, while hearing a case concerning the demarcation of the boundaries of Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in March this year, warned that animal-human conflicts pose a danger to the very existence of forests and wildlife, a balance has to be struck which takes care of the rights of both stakeholders,” the letter read.

Big hotels in Kaziranga may aggravate human-elephant conflict in nearby villages

“Need for new projects and infrastructure is crucial for economic and social development. However, when it comes to World Heritage Sites, they can also have negative impacts on unique qualities like “Outstanding Universal Value” for which they receive World Heritage Site status. Overexploitation of natural resources seriously impacts wildlife, forests, the functioning of rivers and streams and left us with more losses than earnings which have become evident in many parts of our own state,” the letter also stated.

The organization said that they welcome a five-star hotel project or a luxury resort in cities or towns. In this case, Kaliabor or Jakhalabandha in the Nagaon district, Bokakhat in Golaghat district or even Tezpur or Biswanath could be better options for the proposed projects.

“We believe your kind office would consider the mentioned alternatives and find the best possible solutions to meet both conservation priorities and development needs. Kaziranga is home to several critically endangered species. There have already been too rnany constructions being allowed around the park- mostly in the Kohora and the Bagori ranges, that they could be dangerous to the Park’s fragile ecosystem. We, as people working for the conservation of nature, have always desired a State responsibility for preventing, reducing and controlling risks of environmental damage and appeal our government for a proactive policy that requires sustainable use of our natural resources, reduction in pollution and protection and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems,” the forum added.