Union Ministry Urges Action Against Illegal Mining in Kaziranga Reserve
Government Response to Illegal Mining Concerns
Guwahati, Nov 10: In response to illegal mining activities occurring in the Parkup Pahar Range of the Kaziranga Karbi Anglong Elephant Reserve, which contravene a Supreme Court ruling, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has urged the Assam government to take “appropriate and necessary action.”
On November 1, 2026, a news report highlighted the extensive damage to forest areas and hill landscapes. Environmental activist Rohit Choudhury had previously submitted a detailed complaint to the Union ministry on October 7, 2026, regarding the illegal mining in the Parkup Pahar region.
The ministry's letter to the Special Chief Secretary (Forests) of Assam emphasized the need for the state government to address the issue in accordance with legal provisions.
Mining and quarrying activities have been ongoing unchecked in the Parkup Pahar range, a vital wildlife habitat and corridor, threatening the ecological balance between Kaziranga National Park and the surrounding Karbi Anglong forests.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had previously called for an immediate cessation of these harmful activities, warning of a significant risk to the connectivity of Kaziranga National Park with the larger Karbi Anglong area.
“The absence of corridors and habitat continuity for wildlife dispersal will severely impact the long-term conservation of species such as tigers and Indian elephants in Kaziranga Tiger Reserve,” the NTCA noted.
It appears that the Assam government has not taken stringent measures against the ongoing destruction, as evidenced by the lack of enforcement despite repeated warnings from the Supreme Court, NTCA, and the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) appointed by the Supreme Court.
The ongoing activities are in direct violation of the Supreme Court's order from April 12, 2019, which explicitly prohibited all mining and related activities in the Kaziranga National Park vicinity and its catchment areas.
The Supreme Court's directive clearly stated that “...all forms of mining and related activities in the Kaziranga National Park area and the entire catchment area of rivers/streams originating in the Karbi Anglong Hill ranges and flowing into Kaziranga National Park, including the Tiger Reserve, are restrained. No new construction shall be allowed on private lands that are part of the nine identified animal corridors.”
The Karbi Anglong East Division, located along the southern boundary and eco-sensitive catchment zone of Kaziranga National Park, is experiencing irreversible changes to its wildlife habitat due to unregulated mining in the Parkup Pahar and Dolamara areas.
The CEC has consistently urged the Assam government to take action against mining activities, but there has been minimal effective response. Through letters dated May 30, 2025, and March 5, 2026, the CEC reiterated the need for strict adherence to the Supreme Court's order regarding mining in the Karbi Anglong hills adjacent to Kaziranga.