Centre asks Assam to act on illegal mining in Kaziranga corridor

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has asked the Assam government to take "appropriate and necessary action" against illegal mining in the Parkup Pahar range of the Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong Elephant Reserve, according to The Assam Tribune.

The ministry's letter, addressed to the Special Chief Secretary (Forests) of the Assam government, forwards a representation by environmental activist Rohit Choudhury dated October 7, 2026, and asks the state to examine the matter and act in accordance with the law. The Assam Tribune had also published a report with photographs of forest loss and damaged hill slopes in the area on November 1.

Why Parkup Pahar matters

Parkup Pahar lies in the Karbi Anglong East forest division along the southern edge of Kaziranga National Park. The hills form part of the catchment of streams that drain into the park and serve as a corridor used by animals moving between Kaziranga's floodplains and the forested Karbi Anglong uplands, especially when the Brahmaputra floods the park every monsoon.

Mining and quarrying in Parkup Pahar and the nearby Dolamara area are said to be permanently changing that habitat. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has earlier called for the activity to be stopped immediately, warning of a "high risk" that Kaziranga could permanently lose its corridor and habitat connectivity with the wider Karbi Anglong landscape. The NTCA said a lack of corridors would have serious long-term consequences for wide-ranging species such as tigers and elephants in the Kaziranga Tiger Reserve.

A standing Supreme Court ban

In an order dated April 12, 2019, in the long-running forest conservation case (W.P. (Civil) No. 202 of 1995), the Supreme Court restrained all mining and related activity along the Kaziranga National Park area and across the catchment of rivers and streams that rise in the Karbi Anglong hills and flow into the park. The order also barred new construction on private land forming part of the nine identified animal corridors.

The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has since written to the Assam government at least twice, on May 30, 2025 and March 5, 2026, seeking strict compliance with the order. The Assam Tribune report says enforcement on the ground has remained weak despite these repeated warnings from the court's committee and the NTCA.

What happens next

The ministry's letter puts the onus on the state forest department to respond. There was no immediate public statement from the Assam government or the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council on the letter. NEInsider will update this story if officials announce action against the mining operations.