The Cabinet sub-committee in a meeting held on Thursday under the chairmanship of Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre gave its approval for the declaration of eco-sensitive zones for four forest areas.
They are Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary in Chikkamagaluru district, Bankapura Wolf Sanctuary in Koppal, Uttaragudda Wildlife Sanctuary in Chitradurga, and Arsikere Bear Sanctuary in Hassan district.
No hindrance to public
Mr. Khandre said that declaring eco-sensitive zones around wildlife sanctuaries would not cause any hindrance to the public or locals.
He added that in four of the State’s wildlife sanctuaries, the eco-sensitive zone would range from a minimum of 1 km to a maximum of 10 km. However, in areas with human settlements or private land, the zone would be limited to just 1 km, ensuring that locals and farmers face no inconvenience.
As per the Ministry of Forest, Environment, and Climate Change guidelines, activities in eco-sensitive zones are categorised into promoted, regulated, and prohibited.
Promoted activities
In the promoted activities, there are no restrictions on activities such as existing agriculture, organic farming, horticulture, and the installation of solar panels.
Regulated activities include eco-tourism, homestays, resorts, hotels, schools, hospitals, government buildings, construction of buildings, installation of power cables, and infrastructure.
These activities require proposals to be submitted to the Regional Commissioner’s committee, and operations can commence only after obtaining approval.
Prohibited activities
Prohibited activities include the disposal of hazardous waste, industries classified under the red category causing noise and air pollution, commercial mining, the establishment of sawmills, and collection of forest produce for commercial purposes. Cutting trees in these areas requires prior approval under the Tree Conservation Act.
Published – January 17, 2025 05:33 am IST
