MoEF asks states to identify eco-sensitive zones around sanctuaries

Identifies any commercial activity within 10 sq kilometers of 650 national parks & sancturies as sensitive for animal safety

The environment ministry has told states that any commercial activity within 10 sq kilometers of 650 national parks and sanctuaries will be discontinued if they fail to notify ecologically sensitive areas by next month.

Environment secretary V Rajagopalan, in a letter to state chief secretaries, has sought proposals for declaring eco-sensitive zones latest by February 15, 2013, as a last opportunity to submit their report.“In case the state and union territories fail to submit the proposals, the activities prohibited as per the 2011 guidelines would stand implemented within 10 kms of national parks and sanctuaries.”

The Wildlife Conservation Strategy-2002, adopted by the Indian Board for Wildlife, envisaged declaring land falling within 10 km of the boundary of National Parks and Sanctuaries as eco-fragile zones for the safety of animals. However, even after repeated request by the Environment Ministry, only few states have identified eco-sensitive areas around the santuaries.

Though it was notified in 2002, due to the reservations expressed by few States, the matter had been once again examined by the National Board for Wildlife in March 2005, wherein it was decided to have site specific ceo-sensitive zones. This was communicated to the States/ Union territories in May 2005.

In 2011, the ministry also issued guidelines for declaring the zones mentioning the commercial activities allowed and prohibited in such areas.

However, the progress on this front has been far from satisfactory. Only few states had submitted proposals to declare the zones in the wildlife areas.