The decision, taken during the board’s meeting on December 21, was chaired by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav.
Assam’s forest department had recommended the project for clearance in August 2023 on the grounds of “national interest”, reported PTI.
Eco-sensitive zones, declared under the 1972 Wildlife Protection Act, are meant to act as buffer zones or “shock absorbers” between areas of human habitation and protected areas such as national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
The Hollongapar sanctuary spans 21 sq km, with its eco-sensitive zone extending over 264.9 sq km to connect with the Dissoi Valley Reserve Forest and forested areas in Nagaland. This area is home to seven primate species, including the endangered hoolock gibbon, India’s only ape.
The exploration for oil and gas just outside the Hollongapar sanctuary will require 4.5 hectares of land, including a 1.4-hectare well pad and a 3-hectare access road. These will be located 13 km from the protected area.
After a site inspection on November 15, officials from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Wildlife Institute of India and Assam’s forest department concluded: “The sanctuary is an important habitat of the hoolock gibbon…Exploratory drilling may not cause much damage, but commercial drilling may not be allowed.”
The Vedanta Group has assured authorities that the project is strictly exploratory, aiming to identify hydrocarbon reserves. The company committed to carrying out any extraction, if reserves are discovered, outside the eco-sensitive zone, reported PTI.
The site is in a disputed area near the Assam-Nagaland border. The inspection team had to cross a Nagaland check post and was welcomed by the border magistrate of Nagaland and Naga residents, who stated that drilling operations would require permission from the Village Council and the Nagaland government.
The sanctuary faces additional pressures from human activities, including a railway line that runs through it. Plans to electrify this line have also been recommended by the National Board for Wildlife.
