SC ban ignored as illegal mining booms near Kaziranga National Park: CEC

Illegal mining activities near Kaziranga National Park have not only continued but intensified in recent years despite a Supreme Court ban in 2019, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has told the apex court in a damning new report.

In its May 30 submission, the CEC revealed that rampant mining persists in the Parkup Pahar Range, a designated wildlife sanctuary forming the southern boundary of Kaziranga, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that harbors over 65% of the world’s one-horned rhinoceros population.

The Supreme Court had banned all mining and related activities around Kaziranga’s eco-sensitive zone in April 2019, based on earlier CEC findings that flagged severe environmental degradation threatening critical wildlife corridors connecting the Brahmaputra floodplains and Karbi Anglong hills.

Evidence of Violation

The latest report was prompted by a December 2024 complaint from an anonymous government employee, who submitted Google Earth imagery from 2019 to 2023 showing resumption and expansion of mining post-2021. The CEC conducted field verifications and confirmed the complaint’s validity.

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Mining was reported particularly near the Borjuri Waterfall and its streams, which drain into Kaziranga. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Assam, in a February 5 report, confirmed active stone mining in areas close to Kaziranga and detailed the suspension of some leases.

Karbi Anglong Council Under Fire

The CEC further accused the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) of illegally granting dozens of mining permits in forested and proposed eco-sensitive zones—violating the SC ban and bypassing mandatory clearances from the National Board for Wildlife and the Central government under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.

KAAC, it emphasized, lacks the authority to issue such permits. The committee recommended an immediate halt to all mining and related activities in Parkup Pahar and surrounding catchments.

CEC's Recommendations to SC, the CEC urged:

> A complete ban on new mining leases.

> A watershed drainage analysis report from KAAC to identify eco-sensitive streams.

> Quarterly status updates through Assam’s Chief Secretary.

> Immediate enforcement by Assam's DGP and Karbi Anglong SP to prevent illegal mining and mineral transport.

> The Assam government approached the Gauhati High Court to review its recent mining permissions, granted without knowledge of the SC’s 2019 ban.

This revelation has triggered fresh concerns over ecological mismanagement and institutional complicity in one of India’s most critical wildlife zones. With the Supreme Court now seized of the matter again, conservationists are watching closely to see if enforcement will match the urgency of the court’s original intent.