Guwahati, Aug. 13 -- Environmentalist Jadav Payeng has urged Assam and the Centre to reconsider the proposed 1-km Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around Kaziranga, warning that a narrower protective buffer could leave wildlife with inadequate space to move during floods.

Payeng, widely known as the "Forest Man of India", raised the concern in a video shared on social media, days after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that Assam would approach the Centre seeking a scientifically determined 1-km ESZ around Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.

Payeng said reducing the zone would create serious challenges for wildlife, particularly during the annual floods when animals leave Kaziranga in search of higher ground in the Karbi Anglo...