Buffer zones, designed to protect water bodies, biodiversity, and forest ecosystems, are under threat as development pressures in Karnataka intensify

The buffer Zones are contemplated to secure the core area of streams, water bodies and biodiversity sites and definitions in each case are supported by respective statutes, government guidelines and Court orders.  The flow of water in stormwater drains and urban lakes needs to be regulated at the time of cloud bursts in the city causing flooding. Karnataka State Board for Prevention and Control of Water Pollution was amended in December 2021 to locate red industries beyond 500 meters from the centre of the stream and also at the same distance from the outer boundary of the lake. 75 meter buffer Zone is fixed for orange industries and 30 meters for non-polluting green establishments.

Zonal regulation of Bangalore Development Authority also prohibits any development within 30 meters from the outer boundary of the lake and similarly primary, secondary and tertiary drains have a buffer zone of 50, 25 and 15 meters from the centre on either side. Karnataka government is contemplating utilising barren buffer Zone areas for development and this would not go well with the environment conservation ethos and would have wide ranging repercussions like destroying the natural drainage pattern of the landscape and would bring misery to the people at the time of flash floods. It is recommended to evict encroachments from buffer areas and plant up with native tree species.

To protect the integrity of the forests and to minimize the interference of communities around, rule 41 of Karnataka Forest Rules, 1969 specifies a buffer Zone of 100 meters from the periphery of Reserved Forests. The rule in effect prohibits the grant of any revenue land within 100 meters from the fringes of the forests without express approval from the Forest Department. Legislatures in 1969 knew that if revenue land abetting forests is granted to any individual or used for community projects, the forests would be subjected to anthropogenic pressure and would be encroached and degraded. Today we find that the provision has not been implemented in true spirit and there has been large-scale unauthorized occupation of forest lands after plundering the tree growth. Revenue lands are also lost in the process. If the provision is not properly regulated, even the deemed forests will be plundered and tree growth and lands will be lost. Forests are the mothers of rivers. The origin and catchments of many rivers are notified by Tiger Reserves (TRs). The original TRs that have been carved out of forests, Sanctuaries and National Parks are its core areas.

By an amendment in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 in 2006, it was mandated to include areas surrounding the core, as buffer areas. In respect of several TRs, buffer areas have already been notified, but many more are still pending. The buffer areas of the TRs include forest areas, sometimes even part of the Sanctuaries and National Parks interspersed with villages and agricultural lands. With the apprehension that the area commands a higher degree of protection and it may be difficult to divert any portion of it for public projects later, many state Governments are holding back the notification.

Buffer for Nagarhole TR in Kodagu district of Karnataka has not been notified even after 18 years of amendment. Cores and buffers of TRs comprise luxuriant forests and are an important source of water, air, carbon sequestration, and controlling disease-spreading viruses necessary for the survival of humans and all other forms of life on earth. Taking a cue from the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the Supreme Court of India earlier laid down an ‘Eco Sensitive Zone’ (ESZ) of 10 km from the periphery of National Parks and Sanctuaries, which are not TRs. It led to a huge public outcry and that resulted in several state Governments moving the Court for modification. Finally, the Court has relented and prescribed a minimum width of 1 km. The Ministry of Environment and Forests has categorized industries into three groups.

The group of polluting industries like mining, quarrying, etc has been prohibited in ESZ, while some businesses like resorts, tree felling etc are to be regulated and eco-friendly activities like agriculture and horticulture development are to be permitted. Mining and quarrying lobby located on the fringes of National Parks and Sanctuaries, who aspire to expand the activities, prevail on public representatives and government to lower the width of the strip and postpone ESZ notification.

Many ESZ proposals are caught in the crossfire and are held back either by respective state governments or central governments, making the conservation of biodiversity and protection of soil and water more difficult.

This makes National Parks and Sanctuaries insecure. Anshi National Park and Dandeli Sanctuary of Uttar Kannada district of Karnataka have ESZ strip of zero meter width along some portion of the boundary. The origin of river Kali, on which we are dependent for power, is kept out of ESZ and made insecure.

To make way for the Saravathi pump storage project near Jog Falls, the width of the ESZ strip around Saravathi Sanctuary is reduced from the proposed 2 km to 1 km. Energy experts have questioned the viability of such projects, where excess power generated during the night time is utilized to pump the same water to the upper reservoir, which in turn can again be utilized for power generation by allowing it to flow down to the lower reservoir under gravity. We have also to sacrifice 200 ha of virgin forests of the Western Ghats in this case. This author had an opportunity to visit a similar project site “Purulia Pump storage project” in West Bengal in 1993 while working in the Government of India. Against the recommendation, the project was approved by the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

We destroyed 200 ha of wonderful Sal forests and today the project is a failure. Sal forests are the source of artisan wells and we lost them. The tragedy in Wayanad in the wee hours of 30th July 2024 is also attributed to the diversion of wooded areas for tea plantations and mining causing a major shift in land use pattern and exposing the earth rich in clayey soil to absorb water during incessant rains, swell sufficiently to become unstable and prone for landslides. Expert Committees headed by Madhav Gadgil and Kasturirangan have recommended Western Ghats areas be notified as Eco-Sensitive Areas (ESA) so that environmentally hazardous activities like deforestation and diverting lands for mining, industries etc are prohibited.

Both the states of Karnataka and Kerala have not come on board to notify section of Western Ghats areas in the state as ESA.

(The writer is retired Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Head of Forest Force, Karnataka; views are personal)