<p>“Declaration of the eco-sensitive zone around Nagarhole National Park will not have any adverse impact on the day-to-day activities of the residents and their livelihood. The activities in the eco-sensitive zones would be of a regulatory nature rather than prohibitive nature,” Deputy Inspector General (Wildlife) Prakriti Srivastava said in an October 28 letter to N Krishnappa of Kodagu Zilla Panchayat.<br /><br />While movement of commercial vehicles would be regulated at night, there would not be any restriction on the movement of personal vehicles of the locals.<br /><br />The clarification from a Central official comes in the wake of sustained protests by local outfits including Codava National Council, who claimed that if the eco-sensitive zone is allowed to be formed, it would ruin their livelihood.<br /><br />The Centre issued a notification identifying the ESZ covering 98 villages. The zone has been classified from zone-1 to zone-6. The government plan is to create a zonal master plan to regulate industrial units, quarrying and mining and tourism in all the six zones.<br />The agitators claim that the planned ESZ would cover the entire Kodagu district and threaten the existence of people living there.<br /><br />The purpose of declaring eco-sensitive zones around the tiger reserve was to create a “shock absorber” for the protected areas that would act as a transition zone from high-protection areas to areas having lesser protection, Srivastava said, adding that the ministry encouraged rain-water harvesting, organic farming and adoption of green technologies in the ESZ.<br /><br />Regarding the issue of mining, the official said any kind of mining activity was prohibited within a km of a national park and Nagarahole was no exception. There is also a 2006 Supreme Court order upholding the ban.<br /><br />On the issue of activities causing pollution and ecological degradation, she said a pristine and cleaner environment would be in the interests of local population.<br /><br />“These guidelines are site specific and are meant only to regulate various activities around the Protected Areas in a manner, which would cause least damage to the precious environment and wildlife of the Protected Areas,” he said.</p>
<p>“Declaration of the eco-sensitive zone around Nagarhole National Park will not have any adverse impact on the day-to-day activities of the residents and their livelihood. The activities in the eco-sensitive zones would be of a regulatory nature rather than prohibitive nature,” Deputy Inspector General (Wildlife) Prakriti Srivastava said in an October 28 letter to N Krishnappa of Kodagu Zilla Panchayat.<br /><br />While movement of commercial vehicles would be regulated at night, there would not be any restriction on the movement of personal vehicles of the locals.<br /><br />The clarification from a Central official comes in the wake of sustained protests by local outfits including Codava National Council, who claimed that if the eco-sensitive zone is allowed to be formed, it would ruin their livelihood.<br /><br />The Centre issued a notification identifying the ESZ covering 98 villages. The zone has been classified from zone-1 to zone-6. The government plan is to create a zonal master plan to regulate industrial units, quarrying and mining and tourism in all the six zones.<br />The agitators claim that the planned ESZ would cover the entire Kodagu district and threaten the existence of people living there.<br /><br />The purpose of declaring eco-sensitive zones around the tiger reserve was to create a “shock absorber” for the protected areas that would act as a transition zone from high-protection areas to areas having lesser protection, Srivastava said, adding that the ministry encouraged rain-water harvesting, organic farming and adoption of green technologies in the ESZ.<br /><br />Regarding the issue of mining, the official said any kind of mining activity was prohibited within a km of a national park and Nagarahole was no exception. There is also a 2006 Supreme Court order upholding the ban.<br /><br />On the issue of activities causing pollution and ecological degradation, she said a pristine and cleaner environment would be in the interests of local population.<br /><br />“These guidelines are site specific and are meant only to regulate various activities around the Protected Areas in a manner, which would cause least damage to the precious environment and wildlife of the Protected Areas,” he said.</p>
