India: Rights group questions NGO silence on Kaziranga hotel plan in elephant habitat; calls for scrutiny of government actions
"Assam: Rights Body Asks Why NGOs Are Silent Over Kaziranga Hotel Plan", 9 June 2024
NGOs have allegedly been silent on the Himanta Biswa Sarma governmentโs plan to construct a high-end hotel in and around the traditional habitat meant for elephants.
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The rights organisation emphasised that the proposed plans will not only be โcatastrophicโ for Kazriangaโs fragile eco-system comprising its world famous four-legged species like elephants and other animals, but also for its local people, who are mostly farmers who depend on the land for livelihood.
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The rights body told The Wire that the Chicago-based Hyatt Hotel Corporation, a multinational hospitality company, is planning to construct a five-star hotel at Hathikuli Inglay Pothar, a traditional habitat for elephants and considered as a โplayground for elephantsโ by locals.
Hatikhuli Inglay Pothar is located near the Kohora range at Kaziranga which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The locals have been protesting not only the proposed hotel but also the construction of a Taj resort by the Tata Group.
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