The department, helped by NGOs, academicians and experts across the state, recently took steps to start the process for identification of eco-sensitive zones. The Supreme Court had recently directed state governments to forward proposals for ESZ to the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF). Once declared, developmental activities in these zones will be regulated and the existing infrastructure projects will be under scanner.
The guidelines, prepared by MoEF, said that the purpose of declaring ESZ around national parks and sanctuaries is to create a shock absorber for the protected areas. They would also act as a transition zone from areas of high protection to areas involving lesser protection. Chief conservator of forests, Pune, Nitin Kakodkar, told TOI that the first step towards identification of ESZ in the state is an inventory of different land-use patterns, activities like agriculture, types and number of industries operating around the protected areas, as well as important corridors, will take four months to complete.
"We will look into the existing development plan as well the proposed activities. The regulation or prohibition of activities in these areas will be based on the importance of biodiversity. Activities in the eco-sensitive zones would be regulatory rather than prohibitive. There will be regulations and prohibitions on various activities, such as road construction, industry pollution, mining, felling of trees and, establishment of hotels and resorts,'' he said. Commercial mining, setting up of saw mills, commercial use of firewood, and establishment of major hydroelectric projects is prohibited, whereas felling of trees, establishment of hotels and resorts, widening of roads are regulated in ESZ.
According to Kakodkar, declaration of the ESZ will help clear various projects, identify and manage the ESZ. A monitoring committee will also be set up. The extent of ecosensitive zones around protected areas will have to be kept flexible. Experts have raised the point that an area of ESZ and the extent of regulation may not be uniform around and can be of variable width and extent. Once the identification of ESZ is done, it will go from the state government to the MoEF for draft notification. The ministry will put it up on public domain for suggestions and will come up with a final notification. Read the full report here.
Source: Dipannita Das, TNN, Pune.
