Wasting no time, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) under the Union environment and forests ministry approved the state government's decision the moment it received the long-awaited proposal on April 30. Creation of buffer zones around the identified critical tiger habitats across India is mandated by a 2006 amendment to the Wildlife Conservation Act. No mining or industrial projects can be allowed in the notified buffer areas. Just days ago, prime minister Manmohan Singh had written to three chief ministers, including Maharashtra's Ashok Chavan, to expedite the process of notifying buffer zones around the critical tiger habitats, thereby turning them into no-go areas for any mining projects. Union environment and forests minister Jairam Ramesh was also pushing for the notification in the interests of the tiger and of forest conservation.
The NTCA says the buffer would help conserve the tigers and enable local people to co-exist with the wild cat with their livelihood and cultural rights intact.
Read the full article by Jaideep Hardikar here.
