Ensure no development activity around BNP until final notification: Karnataka HC to state

Amid the debate over the finalisation of eco-sensitive zone around the Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) on the outskirts of Bengaluru, the High Court of Karnataka on Thursday directed the state government to ensure no development and commercial activities are taken up in the 10-km radius around the BNP.

A division bench of Chief Justice Abhay S Oka, while hearing a public interest litigation filed by the Bannerghatta Nature Conservation Trust, ordered that until the finalisation of the draft notification on the declaration of the ESZ around the BNP, no further development and commercial activities must be taken up.

The bench, however, clarified that the interim order would not affect the works that have already been taken up in the area.

The petitioners pointed out in their appeal that a draft notification was issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) on June 15, 2016, declaring 268.96 sq km, ranging from 100 metres at some locations to 4.5 km in a few areas around the park, as the ESZ.

The same, according to the petitioners, was allowed to lapse as no objection or suggestion was received by the MoEF. Subsequently, the Centre on October 31, 2018, issued a fresh notification declaring 168.84 sq km, ranging from 100 metres to 1 km area around the park, as the ESZ.

Threat to ecology

The petitioners further stated that the reduction in the proposed ESZ would seriously jeopardise the ecology of the region. Further many villages have also been left out of the purview of the ESZ, enabling development and commercial activities in the region, eventually taking a toll on the forest cover and casting a shadow on the region’s environment.

The trust appealed to the bench to issue a direction to the state and the Centre to finalise the ESZ around the BNP as per the original draft notification issued way back in 2016, and prohibit all development and commercial activities within the 10-km radius around the BNP until final notification.