Kaziranga National Park Clarifies Animal Corridor Notification Issues

Clarification on Panbari Corridor Notification

GUWAHATI, Sept 7: Following the removal of an “incomplete” gazette notification from the Assam government’s website, authorities from Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve have issued a clarification confirming that the Panbari Corridor is officially recognized as one of the nine designated animal corridors.

According to a statement from the field director's office, “It is hereby clarified that the Panbari Corridor is part of the nine corridors notified via Government of Assam Notification No. FRW.7/2022/Pt.V/01 dated April 1, 2022. This notification is published in the Gazette and can be accessed on the official Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve website.”

Previously, the incomplete notification on the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department's website was taken down, leading to a “Page not found” error when users attempted to locate it.

While the complete notification may be accessible on the national park's site, questions remain regarding why an incomplete version, which excluded a vital animal corridor, was initially posted on the state portal.

Moreover, concerns have been raised about why this oversight went unnoticed for over four years. A simple Google search for the nine corridors directs users primarily to the state government’s website.

The full notification, titled ‘No. FRW.7/2022/Pt.V/01 - 9 (nine) animal corridors connecting Karbi Anglong Hills and Kaziranga National Park,’ spans from page 1,328 to page 1,455. In contrast, the incomplete version on the Assam State portal concludes at page 1,426, omitting 29 pages related to the Panbari corridor, which raises valid concerns about the omission.

Environmental activist Rohit Choudhury criticized the government, stating, “For four years, they were in a slumber, not knowing head or tail of what they have uploaded onto their website. Now that they have been called out, they are running helter-skelter to find explanations.”

Additionally, the state government has been slow to engage with the Supreme Court-formed Central Empowerment Committee (CEC) regarding the nine animal corridors of Kaziranga, despite repeated requests from the panel over several years.

In a letter dated March 5, 2026, the CEC again urged the state government to provide updates on the notification of the animal corridors, but as of now, no response has been received. This lack of communication was noted in a communiqué dated July 17, 2026, addressed to Rohit Choudhury, who had requested information on the issue.

This situation has sparked renewed scrutiny over the government's management of the notification process and its responsiveness to the Supreme Court-constituted Central Empowerment Committee's inquiries regarding the nine corridors.