Guwahati, June 12 -- By NE NOW NEWS

Guwahati: The Kaziranga Wildlife Society (KWS) has opposed the recent approval granted to Oil India Limited (OIL) for hydrocarbon exploration in the Upper Dehing Reserve in Assam's Tinsukia district, calling for biodiversity-rich landscapes to be kept free from mining and drilling activities.

The approval, granted under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, involves the diversion of around 4.9 hectares of forest land in the Digboi Forest Division. The proposed exploration site falls within the Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve, an ecologically sensitive landscape that serves as a key habitat and movement corridor for wild elephants.

In a statement, KWS said the Dehing Patkai rainforest remains Assam's la...