Syllabus Section: Environment and Ecology

Why in News?

The authorities in Assam’s Golaghat and Nagaon districts have begun probing cases of clearance of forest land, digging and construction activities on at least three animal corridors within the eco-sensitive zone of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.

About:

Kaziranga Animal Corridor:

• Kaziranga National Park is located in the Golaghat, KarbiAnglong, and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam

• The sanctuary, which hosts two-thirds of the world's great one-horned rhinoceroses, is a World Heritage Site.

• A special committee formed by the Supreme Court in its report had recommended the delineation of nine animal corridors in Kaziranga National Park (KNP)
• Golaghat and Nagaonhare large swathes of the 1,300-sq. km. tiger reserve that has nine identified animal corridors.

• Seven of these — Amguri, Bagori, Chirang, Deosur, Harmati, Hatidandi and Kanchanjuri — are in Nagaon district while Haldibari and Panbari corridors are in Golaghat district.

• The nine corridors that already exist behave as functional corridors, but according to the new recommendation, the corridors will act as both structural and functional, on the basis of need.
• The report suggested that structural corridors should be made free of all human induced disturbances except for the forestry and wildlife management practices.
• On the other hand, functional corridorscan have regulated multi-use with restrictions on land use change.

Significance of the Animal Corridor:

• These corridors are crucial for the rhinos, elephants, tigers, deer and other animals that escape a flooded Kaziranga during the monsoon months for the safety of the hills of KarbiAnglong district beyond the highway skirting the southern boundary of the tiger reserve.

 

Source: The Hindu