NGT files suo motu case over 5-star hotel construction at Kaziranga

Guwahati: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has filed a suo motu case over construction of luxury hotels in and around the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) in Assam.

Taking cognizance of media reports, the New Delhi-based Principal Bench of NGT registered a case under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 on the matter.

According to its official website, the tribunal is yet to fix a date to begin hearing the case.

The development came days after the Assam government inked an agreement with the Tata Group to construct a five-star hotel in the vicinity of the UNESCO World Heritage site.

"This park (KNP) is one of the last areas in eastern India undisturbed by a human presence. It is inhabited by the world's largest population of one-horned rhinoceroses, as well as many mammals, including tigers, elephants, panthers and bears, and thousands of birds," a UNESCO website said.

The Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) on Saturday signed an MoU with Amalgamated Plantations Pvt Ltd (APPL) and Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL), subsidiaries of Tata Group, to develop the luxury property at a cost of Rs 120 crore.

As a part of the MoU, a resort and spa will be opened at Kaziranga. The APPL in collaboration with IHCL will establish the facility near the core area of the National Park.

Another five-star hotel is being developed near the KNP by the international hotel chain Hyatt.

On September 23 last year, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said an agreement would soon be signed by the ATDC with the Hyatt Group, which would develop a 5-star resort at an investment of Rs 100 crore to offer 100-120 rooms next to the KNP.

The Greater Kaziranga Land and Human Rights Protection Committee last month alleged that a huge portion of land in the vicinity of the Park has been "illegally" converted and is being handed over to the multinational hospitality group to construct a five-star hotel without following due norms.

"The entire exercise was carried out by violating several norms. No public hearing was conducted with the affected 45 families. The Environmental Impact Assessment and Social Impact Assessment were not done," he had claimed.