Guwahati, Aug. 24 -- As the Assam government plans to notify a site-specific eco-sensitive zone (ESZ), an ecologically fragile area, around Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve extending one to three kilometres from the existing boundary, public debate has intensified in both the mainstream and social media. Although the initiative complies with directives from the Supreme Court of India, the issue has drawn wider public attention following protest demonstrations by opposition parties and wildlife experts.

So far, the UNESCO World Heritage Site in eastern Assam has no notified ESZ boundary, so the default 10-km buffer applies to this celebrated biodiversity hotspot. Kaziranga, a globally renowned wildlife reserve, is home to over 2,...