Guwahati: The Assam Congress will hold a statewide march on August 29 to protest the proposed reduction of the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around Kaziranga National Park.
State Congress general secretary (organisation) Ramanna Baruah, in a circular, asked district Congress committee presidents to organise the march and mobilise leaders and workers against the proposal.
The Congress said the proposed reduction could threaten wildlife, biodiversity and the ecosystem around the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Assam government has proposed sending a proposal to the Centre to reduce the buffer area around Kaziranga from the default 10 km to between 1 km and 3 km.
An ESZ is a buffer zone around a protected forest where commercial activities are prohibited, regulated or permitted under specified norms, depending on their nature.
Opposition parties and environmental activists have alleged that the proposed reduction could facilitate mining and tourism activities around Kaziranga and the Karbi Anglong hills, which also serve as an elephant corridor.
Environmentalists have warned that a narrower buffer zone could increase human-animal conflict and threaten the biodiversity of the national park.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has defended the proposal, saying the reduction is intended to protect villagers living within the ESZ and safeguard their livelihoods.