MoEF extends deadline for states to declare eco-sensitive zones around wildlife parks and sanctuaries

Kumar Sambhav S

It is the last opportunity for states, warns ministry official

The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has extended the deadline for the states to declare eco-sensitive zones  around national parks and wildlife sanctuaries by three more months. The previous deadline expired on February 15.

Eco-sensitive zones are the ecologically important areas designated to be protected from industrial pollution and unregulated development under the Environment Protection Act of 1986. In 2002, MoEF had decided to declare an area of 10 km from the boundaries of protected areas as eco-sensitive zones to create a buffer around them. But many states opposed it, fearing it would hamper development. The decision was challenged in the Supreme Court. In 2005, MoEF, on the recommendation of the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL), decided that states will declare eco-sensitive zones on site-specific, case-to-case basis, and that industrial activity in such zones would be regulated instead of being prohibited. Till the time these zones are not notified, all projects that require environmental clearance and fall within 10 km of the boundary of a protected area were to be placed before NBWL’s standing committee for approval.

The ministry has sent several reminders to states to propose eco-sensitive zones. It formulated guidelines to declare area-specific eco-sensitive zones in February 2011, but not many states forwarded proposals. India has 102 national parks and 515 wildlife sanctuaries, but till January this year, only seven eco-sensitive zones were notified around protected areas. In the meanwhile, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) that advises the Supreme Court on forest matters suggested that such zones should be limited to up to two kilometres from the boundary of the national parks. It said this would expedite the process of declaring the eco-sensitive zones. The ministry, however, did not buy this argument and advocated the existing mechanism of declaring site-specific safety zones around each protected area or restricting industrial activity within 10 km from its boundary in case such zones are not identified (see ‘Smaller eco zone irks ministry’).

Later, the ministry issued directions to the states on December 31, 2012, giving them the deadline of February 15 to send proposals for site-specific eco-sensitive zones around the protected areas. It said if the proposals were not sent for particular protected area by the deadline, the restrictions on industrial development will be imposed in an area of 10 km around that protected area. As the states panicked and started preparing the proposals, communities living around several protected areas in the country started protesting against the declaration of these zones. Reports from Maharashtra, Goa and Madhya Pradesh suggest people feared that notification of such zones would hamper their development.

While many states have formed committees of forest department and environmentalists to identify eco-sensitive zoones, it seems not many of them could comply with the deadline of February 15. “The states have requested for more time. Preparation of proposals has progressed well in several states but it is pending approval at the state governments' level. We have given them a last opportunity by extending the deadline for three more months,” said an official in the MoEF.

Source: http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/moef-extends-deadline-states-declare-eco-sensitive-zones-around-wildlife-parks-and-sanctuari

Gunshots return to gag lion roar in Amreli

Vijaysinh Parmar, TNN | Feb 19, 2013

Wildlife experts say that there should not be any activity
in the 10-km periphery of a wildlife sanctuary and
government must declare it as a silent and
eco-sensitive zone.

RAJKOT: For most part of the year, it's only the roar of Asiatic lions that breaks the tranquility of Mityala Wildlife Sanctuary in Amreli district. But for the next two months, gunshots will rent the air, forcing the lions to run for cover.

Amreli district police started their annual firing practice near Khambha town, barely half a kilometre from the sanctuary. Till March 31, 950 cops will be firing not less than 30,000 rounds in this hilly area, which wildlife activists say is the natural corridor for as many as 15 Asiatic lions.

About 70 policemen of various ranks have to undergo the annual practice daily by firing 32 rounds each. This translates into nearly 2,100 rounds being fired close to the sanctuary.

"We have written to the concerned government departments to find an alternate firing range as this one is very close to the wildlife sanctuary, " said Vimalsinh Rathod, a wildlife activist in Khambha. In fact, one lions had preyed on a goat in a private farm which is a stone's throw away from the range.

"Wildlife experts say that there should not be any activity in the 10-km periphery of a wildlife sanctuary and government must declare it as a silent and eco-sensitive zone.

Deputy conservator of forests, Anshuman Sharma said that he will look into this matter.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Gunshots-return-to-gag-lion-roar-in-Amreli/articleshow/18567658.cms

Forest department to decide activities around Okhla bird sanctuary

Ayaskant Das, TNN
NOIDA: The Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has set February 15 as the last date for state governments to submit site-specific proposals for declaration of eco-sensitive zones around national parks and sanctuaries. As a result, the Gautam Budh Nagar district forest department has begun work on formulating the list of prohibited, restricted, regulated and permitted activities within different zonal radii of the Okhla Bird Sanctuary.

The bird sanctuary was notified by the UP government in 1990 under the Wildlife Protection Act. In February 2011, the MoEF had issued guidelines for declaration of eco-sensitive zones around national parks and sanctuaries across the country. February 15 has now been set as the deadline for state governments to submit site-specific proposals.

The district monitoring committee for the bird sanctuary has formulated a set of proposals and the draft will soon be sent to the chief wildlife warden of Uttar Pradesh for approval.

Forest department officials said that the list is being worked out by studying gazette notifications of various eco-sensitive zones declared by the MoEF in different parts of the country.

According to department officials, mining activities, as per Supreme Court directives, is completely prohibited within a one-km radius of the protected sanctuary.

"The list will enumerate different activities that would either be permitted or regulated within different radii from the protected sanctuary based upon feasibility and practical considerations," said a Gautam Budh Nagar forest department official.

Officials informed that a special monitoring committee will be set up after notification of the eco-sensitive zone which will have powers to grant approval for different activities within their respective designated radii. "A map is being worked out to outline the regions demarcated for different categories of activities. The boundary descriptions for various categories of activities will also form part of this map," added the official.

As per officials, the proposals will have to go through several stages before a formal notification is issued by the MoEF. The conservator of forests of Meerut region will send the proposals to the chief wildlife warden, who after proper study will send it to the state government.

"The state government will send the proposal to the union forests ministry after adding its own recommendations. The ministry will also invite objections and suggestions from the general public before issuing the final notification," said the official.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Forest-department-to-decide-activities-around-Okhla-bird-sanctuary/articleshow/18081267.cms

Madhya Pradesh proposes 15 more eco-sensitive zones around sanctuaries

According to the environment ministry's norms,
land falling within 10km of a park or sanctuary
has to be declared as eco-sensitive zone.

PTI
BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh government has proposed 15 eco-sensitive zones around its wildlife sanctuaries and parks, where illegal commercial activities including mining will be prohibited.

A site specific proposal recommending eco-sensitive zones around Ken Gharial Sanctuary (Chhattarpur), Pachmari Sanctuary and Satpura National Park (Hoshangabad), Nauradehi Sanctuary (Sagar) and Karera Sanctuary (Shivpuri) among others has been approved by the state government, according to a document accessed by wildlife activist Ajay Dubey through RTI Act.

The move came after the state government was given a "last chance" to send a site specific proposal to identify eco-sensitive zone by the Ministry of Environment and Forests before February 15.

The state government has already decided to declare such zones around 17 wildlife sanctuaries and parks including Kanha National Park (Mandla), Pench National Park (Seoni), Bandhavgarh National Park (Umaria), Panna National Park (Panna) and Kuno Palpur Sanctuary (Seopur) among others.

The proposal would soon be sent to the environment ministry which would declare the eco-sensitive zones.

According to the ministry's norms, land falling within 10 km of a park or sanctuary has to be declared as eco-sensitive zone.

The norms prohibit setting up of industries and commercial projects like hotels and resorts besides checking on mining activities among others.

The MoEF has said in the letter that it will declare eco- sensitive zones around 10 km of national parks and sanctuaries if it fails to get the response from the state government before February 15 thus barring commercial and other activities harmful to environment.

Madhya Pradesh, a tiger state, has 35 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Madhya-Pradesh-proposes-15-more-eco-sensitive-zones-around-sanctuaries/articleshow/18099739.cms

MoEF sets deadline to declare eco-sensitive zones around national parks, sanctuaries

P. OPPILI & B. ARAVIND KUMAR

Last opportunity for States to give site-specific proposals

A decade after the National Board for Wildlife envisaged declaring areas within 10 km of the boundary of national parks and sanctuaries as eco-sensitive zones, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has given one last opportunity to all the States to submit site-specific proposals by February 15.

In a letter to the Chief Wildlife Wardens of all the States, Vivek Saxena, Deputy Inspector General, Wildlife, Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has said the progress in declaring eco-sensitive zones was far from satisfactory despite the Ministry issuing guidelines in February 2011 itself.

“Only a few States have come forward with a proposal and that too for a few of the national parks and sanctuaries in their respective States. The Supreme Court is also considering the issue following a writ petition,” Mr. Saxena said in the letter, circulated to all States early in December 2012.

A letter from the MoEF Secretary has also been issued to Chief Secretaries of all the States and Union Territories in this regard. In case, the State/Union Territory governments fail to submit the proposals within the deadline, the activities that have been prohibited as per the MoEF guidelines would stand prohibited within 10 km of the boundary of National Parks and Sanctuaries, the MoEF secretary cautioned.

As per the guidelines, commercial mining, setting up of industries causing pollution, commercial use of firewood, establishment of all hydroelectric projects, use or production of any hazardous substances, tourism activities like flying over the national park area by any aircraft or hot-air balloons and discharge of effluents and solid waste in natural water bodies or terrestrial area are prohibited.

Site-specific proposals necessary

The need for site-specific proposals has arisen as many of the existing protected areas have already undergone tremendous development in close vicinity to their boundaries with some like Guindy National Park lying in the urban set up, MoEF officials said.

Likewise, the eco-sensitive zones could extend beyond 10 km width in cases of sensitive corridors for connectivity of ecologically-important patches crucial for landscape linkage, officials emphasised.

When contacted, State Wildlife authorities said the work on demarcating the ecologically-sensitive zones around national parks and sanctuaries has already begun and is likely to be completed within a month.

In Tamil Nadu there are 10 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 14 bird sanctuaries, five national parks and a conservation reserve. These protected areas are spread over in an area of 5.46 lakh hectares across the State.

As per procedure, the Forest Department would first consider the requirement for an eco-sensitive zone to act as a shock absorber, suggest best methods for management and broad-based thematic activities to be included in the master plan of the region while demarcating the eco-sensitive zones.

Based on this, the Chief Wildlife Warden would have to group the activities under three heads — prohibitive, restricted with safeguards and permissible — that could be taken up.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/moef-sets-deadline-to-declare-ecosensitive-zones-around-national-parks-sanctuaries/article4305172.ece