Kaziranga luxury hotels won’t affect eco-sensitive zones; to boost tourism: CM Sarma

Guwahati, Aug 7: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has clarified that the proposed luxury hotels to come up in the precincts of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) won’t hamper the ecology of the UNESCO Heritage site.

Dismissing reports that the hotels would be constructed in eco-sensitive zones (ESZ) as mere “assumptions”, the Chief Minister, on Wednesday, clarified that the sites of the proposed luxury hotels are “far from the national park”.

“The construction of luxury hotels in Kaziranga will not hamper the eco-sensitive zones as they will be built 1 kilometre away from the national park,” he told the press on the sidelines of the first-ever Passing Out Parade of the Assam Forest Protection Force (AFPF) in Dergaon.

"We almost begged the companies to come and construct luxury hotels in Kaziranga, but I am afraid they might leave soon if protest keeps happening", said CM Sarma.

The Chief Minister also reiterated that establishment of luxury hotels in and around the national park is a need of the hour to boost tourism in the state.

Meanwhile, opposition to the proposed projects has been pouring in from several animal rights activist groups, farmers, indigenous communities and environmentalists.

A few weeks ago, a tense situation arose in Kaziranga when several tea workers, including women, were brutally beaten by the police for protesting against the construction of luxury hotels in Hathikuli and Inglay Pothar.

The protesters also demanded land pattas for the tea workers in Inglay Pothar.

Unrest persisted in the region for several days as authorities ensured no protesters could reach the construction sites for the hotels to be built by the Hyatt group, which is negotiating projects in Hathikuli and Inglay Pothar in Kaziranga, near the Golaghat and Karbi Anglong districts.

Police and Central Security Force personnel have been deployed on all roads leading to Inglay Pothar.

Several security force vehicles are parked at the Rungajaun Tea Estate, with hundreds of policemen camping in the region.

Additionally, several women officers have also been stationed at Kohora Chariali to manage any potential incidents.

Furthermore, police and paramilitary forces have been deployed to prevent protesters from reaching National Highway 37 and the luxury hotel construction areas.

As of now, the Assam government has not signed any deals with the Hyatt Group.

On another front, following the Assam Government’s signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tata Group companies—Amalgamated Plantations Private Limited and Indian Hotels Company Limited—on August 3, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) initiated suo-motu proceedings.