An area of 2,220 sq km out of 10,418 sq km (22 per cent of the area) of Mayurbhanj district has been categorized as Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) consisting of about 1,000 revenue villages, where major hydroelectric projects, high tension power transmission lines, hotels and resorts, industrial undertakings, sign boards and hoardings, commercial mining, stone quarrying and stone crushers and several other economically beneficial activities have been banned.
However, the civil society members and denizens of the district have taken exception to the length of the ESZ on the ground that it would give a death blow to the prospect of development in the tribal-prone Mayurbhanj district which has remained much backward.
Notably, as per the guidelines of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), on July 21, 2012, the State Government had constituted a committee for identification of the ESZ in respect of the Similipal Wildlife Sanctuary. The committee had held two meetings in 2012.
During the meeting, 3 tehsildars were not present and the views of the local stakeholders including people’s representative like MP, MlA, Zilla Parishad members, Panchayats, NACs and municipalities were not solicited for determining the extent of ESZ. But the committee had recommended for the formation of the ESZ over 10 km radius of the sanctuary.
In a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik,denizens of the district requested for a reconsideration. They mentioned that Mayurbhanj is rich in minerals and has immensepotential for establishment of mineral-based industries. Due to its advantageous location on the border of West Bengal and Jharkhand, there is tremendous potential for development of other industries also. In fact, many proposals for setting up of industries have been approved by the single window authorities, which would bring many employment opportunities. The rich deposits of iron ore and rare materials like china clay, granite and quartzite etc would be tapped through industrialization. But banning such beneficial commercial activities shall have a crippling effect on economic development, employment generation and poverty reduction in the district, they contended.
Conservation of wildlife is a noble national goal but it has to be balanced with human development needs. Conservation at the cost of barring development in 22 per cent of the district area cannot be considered to be balanced and desirable policy, they argued.
Referring to the ESZ plans in other States, where in consonance of national policy, the States have declared ESZs by reducing area from 10 km to 0-5 km, keeping in view local development needs, they maintained in the letter that Odisha should reconsider sticking to the 10 km stipulation and reduce the length to 0-5 km.
Most ESZ have been declared between 0 and 5 km. In this light, the proposal to have blanket 10 km as ESZ in respect of Similipal seems arbitrary with the stake holders or their popular representatives. Hence, the proposed ESZ in Similipal should be reduced from 10 km to 5 km.
Besides, an inventory of the local industries and urban centers etc should be taken and analysed, micro level local development plans should also be taken into consideration before declaration of boundaries and local stake holders and their representatives should be consulted and their views obtained before a final decision, they demanded.