Home to two-third of the world's one-horned rhino population, Kaziranga has received just in 2016 about 170,000 Indian and 7,843 foreign tourists — one of the highest footfalls of tourists in recent years. Kaziranga earned a total revenue of Rs 5.4 crore last year and it is one of the highest earnings ever.

Poaching of wildlife, mostly rhinos, is a serious problem here. Between 2006 and 2016, 141 rhinos were poached. Coming under pressure from conservation organisations in 2013, the then Congress-led Assam government amended the provisions of Section 197 CrPC (Code of Criminal Procedure) law in India. This amendment grants forest officials immunity from prosecution if they attack poachers without taking prior consent from the government. Following the amendment, the forest department shot 22 and 23 suspected poachers in 2014 and 2015 respectively [1]. 

Meanwhile, in 2012, the Guwahati High Court had suo motu registered a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) (No.66 /2012), following wide media coverage on poaching of rhinos in Kaziranga. It was based on news published in three English dailies ~ The Telegraph dated 28th and 29th September, 2012, The Indian Express dated 27th September, 2012, and The Hindu dated 27th September, 2012 , and it was registered to inquire into poaching and killing of wild animals at Kaziranga. Along with this another PIL (Number 67/2012), filed by one Mrinal Saikia on the same subject matter with an additional relief of removal of human habitation and encroachment in the animal corridors in and around Kaziranga was also admitted. 

On October 9, 2015, the court issued direction to evict the human inhabitants from Kaziranga, and from adjoining villages--Deurchur Chang, Banderdubi and Palkhowa. The court asked the district administrations to carry it out within one month. The bench in its judgement also observed that the individual claims for a handful of persons is in conflict with the public and national interest. And that it can be inferred that the habitants in the park fall in the suspected group because they are aware of the animal movements, and therefore they would alone be in a position to do poaching successfully or abet poaching by others. Following the directive, eviction drive was carried out on September 19, 2016. During the eviction drive, two people were killed and seventeen were injured [2] In the evening on September 19, the Assam government (coalition of three political parties led by the Bharatiya Janata Party) announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for each of the families of the victims who died, and Rs 50,000 for those who were grievously injured. Next day, the Gauhati High Court refused to interfere in the eviction drive after hearing a writ petition filed by one Mohammad Jalal Uddin against the eviction drive. In response, student-led organisations and Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (a farmers body) have been protesting on behalf of the evicted people. They demand better rehabilitation for the evicted people, and investigation into killing each of the poachers. However, in contrast to the court’s order to improve the habitat, development projects have been granted clearance around the National Park. In 2016, construction activities in the eco-sensitive zone of the park by Patanjali Herbal and Mega Food Park led to the death of an elephant and left two others injured [12]

Beside this eviction drive, other small and invisible evictions continue to go on in the 6th addiction of Kaziranga. The Wire reported that on February 28, a bulldozer was breaking the Kuthis (temporary bamboo huts) and the sheds for cattle. Indiscriminate eviction took place in the eight-nine kilometres stretched from Kathanibari up to Silamari [3] The local communities alleged that the high militarization employed in the park is violating the human rights of the local people and that immunity had led the Forest Guards to use their power in an arbitrary way. In the last 9 years, it has been documented that a number of 62 people were killed as alleged poachers [1]. Moreover, in 2016 in an accident, the forest department shot a 7 years old child, which brought the local organization to Delhi to campaign against the 'green militarization' used in the park [9]. Indeed since 2010, the park has highly intensified the number of forest guards and the use of arms for wildlife protection [10]. Organisations such as Survival International have also advocated against the 'legal immunity' given to the guards, the human rights violations such as tortures and harassments against the local communities, and the involvement of the WWF in funding militarization for conservation in the park [11]. 

Other conflicts are related to the construction of an embankment around the Brahmaputra river that will displace numerous villages belonging to the local Mishing tribes, Dalit and other communities living in these areas. The Embankment funded by the ADB has been highly contested by the organization Jeepal Krishak Shramik Sangathan (JKSS) [5]. The same organization also opposed an Oil exploration carried on by state-owned Oil India Limited (OIL); and against a biorefinery proposal [4;6]. This last protest brought the arrest of the activists Pranab Doley and Soneshwar Narah who were charged with Section 307 (Attempt to murder), and Section 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and later released on bail. The same activists, leaders of the JKSS, have been falsely charged while raising their voices against these conservation policies and to advocate for the rights of the people living around the park [5,6,8]. In June 2020 under Covid19 the Mishing forest people in the Agoratoli range were harassed by the forest department, and 5 people were later falsely charged by police for ‘obstructing police patrolling’ in the aftermath of a protest against the harassment [13] (info documented in local newspaper Axomiya Pratidin, by Dhruba Jyoti Saha on date 9th June) 

Kaziranga was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1950, and notified as Kaziranga National Park in 1974 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, with an area of 429.93 Sq. Km. which has extended to 899 Sq. Km. In 1985 it was declared a UNESCO Heritage site, under the criterion (ix) and (x) for harbouring one of the most unique flora and fauna in the world and also home to the one horned rhinoceros and other important wildlife species. The extension of the park continued since 1999, and today the park covers an area of 1,173 sq. km.

It was declared a Tiger Reserve on August 3, 2007 (vide notification No FRW - 6/2007/23). The core (or critical tiger habitat) constitutes an area of 625.58 sq. km, and comprises the original National Park along with the first, second, third and fifth addition. The buffer extends to 548 sq. km and comprises the still proposed fourth and sixth addition, and is part of Kukunata, Panbari, Bagser, Laokhowa and Burhachaperi Reserve Forests. However, except for the 1st and 4th Additions, the other additions have not been handed over to the Kaziranga authorities.