The Assam state government has approved the addition of 30.53 sq. km ( 3,053 hectares) to the 884 sq. km Kaziranga National Park.
- The additional areas straddling two districts — Nagaon and Sonitpur — would make the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) grow to 1085.53 sq km. The core area of the KNPTR is 430 sq km.
- The new additions include 176 ha at Deosur, Palkhowa in Deosur protected reserve forest, 307 ha at Banderdubi – both in Nagaon district and 2570 ha at Mokua Chapori in Sonitpur district.
- The three additions are habitat corridors and would help provide connectivity to Orang and Nameri National Parks across river Brahmaputra, besides the hills of Karbi Anglong to the south of the park, where the rhino, tiger, deer and other animals take refuge during the floods.
- Kaziranga is the biggest habitat of endangered one-horned rhinos in the world.
(The Hindu and Hindustan Times)
