People Up in Arms Against Kaziranga Tiger Reserve

 

The Kaziranga National Park, of late, is in news for all the wrong reasons. The park has been declared a tiger reserve but locals are up in arms against the move as they fear that this could affect their livelihood.

The people are worried because the formal process for declaring Kaziranga as a tiger reserve is now through. The fear is that the tiger tag will impose restrictions on the flow of tourist vehicles thus affecting their livelihood.

Others fear they will be asked to accept a rehabilitation package and be asked to move out of the tiger reserve. They have now launched an agitation demanding the park be removed from the status of a tiger reserve.

The bone of contention is the demarcation of 10 Km Eco-sensitive Zone around Kaziranga. There will be ban on constructing new resorts in the area and the number of vehicles entering the park will also be restricted.

The government claims bringing Kaziranga under the umbrella of Project Tiger is important and there is no question of de-notifying it from tiger reserve status.