Kerala bishop warns of strong protest over buffer zone issue

Mounting pressure on the government, a bishop in Kerala warned on Monday that an agitation would be launched to gain relaxation for human habitation in forest buffer zones.

Ushering a ruckus in Kozhikode district on Monday to protest the state government’s newly-issued satellite survey report on the buffer zone, Thamarassery bishop Remigiose Inchananiyil claimed that buffer zone restrictions will not be allowed to be applied at high ranges “until the affected people were alive”.

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Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has reportedly convened a high-level meeting on Tuesday to discuss the matter.

The present row is over a satellite survey report released by the state government on the structures within 1 km from the border of forest areas.