Bhadra Reserve Forest made animal-friendly

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Following the Apex Court order to States to declare Reserve Forests and National Parks as sensitive zones to protect these regions in wake development, Bhadra Reserve Forest region will be considered as animal shock absorbers zone.

The Eco Sensitive Zone in reserve forest limits will be changed. Usually this zone can have 10 km area decided on the basis of revenue department blueprints and blueprint of reserve forest along with the activities going on in and around reserved area.

Mining, setting up of saw mill, usage of wood for commercial purpose, setting up of power units and contamination of water in the region has been prohibited.
Setting up of hotels, restaurants, cutting of trees, road widening etc will require permission from departments concerned.

People dwelling in the sensitive zones are free to cultivate agricultural and horticulture crops. They can harvest water, take up organic farming and even use renewable energy resources.

The people living in this area will not be evicted from their lands and their day to day life will not be affected in any way. Sensitive Zone is not an extensive of reserved forest but it is a facility made for the free movement of animals within forest areas so as to curb the man-wild animal fight, which has been increasing over the years.

Ministry for Environment and Forest has sent a proposal to Bhadra Wildlife Division to declare Bhadra Reserve Forest as Eco Sensitive Zone. It may be recalled that Bhadra Reserve Forest was declare as Tiger Sensitive Zone in 2007 which has 492 sq kms in its jurisdiction.