Draft ESZ notification on Nagarahole issued

The Union Ministry of Environment has finally come out with a draft notification on the proposed eco-sensitive zone around the Nagarahole tiger reserve in Mysuru and Kodagu districts.

The draft, which has been issued after months of discussions, aims at fixing the buffer zone boundary for the park.

It also lists a series of activities like commercial mining, industry, new saw mills and commercial-scale livestock establishment that would never be allowed in the eco-sensitive zone — up to a distance of one km from the boundary of the forest — while eco-tourism, erection of electrical or mobile tower, brick kiln and construction can be allowed with some restrictions.

The draft notification would be open for public comments for 60 days following which it would be finalised after accommodating some of the comments.

With a total area of 568.88 sq km, the eco-sensitive zone of Nagarahole tiger reserve is spread across Hunsur (28 villages), Periyapatna (five) and HD Kote (50) taluks in Mysuru district and, Virajpet (nine) and Somwarpet taluks in Kodagu district. The total area covered by the villages is 299.02 sq km.

The state government will have to create a zonal master plan to regulate the activities inside the ESZ. A 17-member monitoring committee with a tenure of three years has been suggested to look after this zone, whose well being is crucial for tigers and other animals inside the reserve forests.

Proposed to be headed by the Regional Commissioner, Mysuru, the monitoring panel will have four MLAs representing Hunsur, HD Kote, Periyapatna and Virajpet constituencies.

Officials from civil and police administration, a member from the state biodiversity authority and an independent expert would be a part of the panel.

All regulated activities proposed under the new notification will be scrutinised by the monitoring panel, which can also refer some of the cases to the central government for necessary approvals.

The panel will have to submit an action-taken report once in a year to the Chief Wildlife Warden.