Following delay by some States, including Uttarakhand, in submitting proposals for establishing eco-sensitive zones around national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, the Ministry of Environment and Forests has extended the deadline for submitting proposals to July 31.
While the proposals are under process, the Uttarakhand Government has already sent a strong letter to the Ministry stating that the formation of eco-sensitive zones should not hamper development works in the State.
The concept of eco-sensitive zone came from National Wildlife Action Plan 2002 that was aimed at checking pressure of infrastructure and other activities in areas close to protected wildlife zones. The MoEF drafted specific guidelines for preparing, receiving and approving proposals for such eco-sensitive zones from state governments and asked the state governments to submit their proposals at the earliest. However, the deadline has now been extended at least twice with States now required to submit the proposals by July 31. Though the Ministry has so far received proposals from various States, some including Uttarakhand have yet to submit these. A clash between those seeking development and those favouring environmental conservation has made eco-sensitive zones a matter of controversy which was fueled further by some social activists and politicians in the State. Uttarakhand did not submit any proposal after the protest elicited by the Gangotri eco-sensitive zone issue. While some including the locals fear that such a zone will hamper development works in the region, there is also a section of people who believe that the concept of eco-sensitive zone is being wrongly interpreted as it is not meant to hinder the necessary development but is aimed at checking rampant degradation of environment. During his recent visit to Dehradun, Union Rural Development minister Jairam Ramesh also pointed out that it was wrong to assume that eco-sensitive zones would hamper development. People must understand that regulated and permissible activity is allowed in eco sensitive zones, the minister had stressed.
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