The new ESZ guidelines, declared by the ministry on February 9, would also ensure that these areas act as “shock absorbers" to the protected areas by regulating and managing the activities around such areas. The guidelines were updated on the ministry website today. “It is prerequisite that an inventory of different land-use patterns and the different types of activities, types and number of industries operating around each of the protected areas be made," the ministry said.
For this purpose, the ministry has asked all states to constitute a committee comprising the wildlife warden, an ecologist and a revenue department official of the area concerned to suggest the requirement of an eco-sensitive zone and its extent.
The panel could also suggest the best methods to manage such zones and broad-based thematic activities to be included in the master plan for the areas, which have been classified as prohibited, restricted with safeguards and permissible. The guidelines said activities, including commercial mining, setting of saw mills and industries causing pollution, commercial use of firewood and major hydropower projects, are prohibited in such areas. Read the full report here.
Source: BS Reporter, Business Standard, New Delhi.
