Why in news?  Creation of Eco sensitive zones has provoked protests in Kerala and some other regions of the country.

Highlights

What are Eco Sensitive Zones?

• As per the National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016), issued by the MoEFCC , land within 10 km of the boundaries of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries are to be notified as eco-fragile zones or Eco-sensitive Zones.
• They are regulated under the Environment Protection Act 1986

What is the purpose of the creation?

• The purpose is to create some kind of “shock absorbers” to the protected areas by regulating and managing the activities around such areas.

How exactly were the ESZs implemented?

• The MoEFCC guidelines for ESZs stated that based on the forest rangers’ inventory of land-use and wildlife corridors within 10 km of each protected area
• A committee consisting of the Wildlife Warden, an ecologist, and an official from the local government was to determine the extent of each ESZ.
• Chief Wildlife Warden to then list the activities that were to be prohibited, to be restricted with safeguards and to be permitted.
• Then, the State government would submit this list, the geographical description, biodiversity values, the rights and entitlements of local communities, their economic potential, as a proposal to the MoEFCC for notification.
• Within two years of notification, the State government is required to draft a Zonal Master Plan for each ESZ in consultation with a number of departments.
• State had to set up a monitoring committee for each ESZ and committee is required to report the actions taken, to the Chief Wildlife Warden every year.

What is the cause of concern?

• The institutional mechanisms and procedures prescribed in the guidelines and the ESZ notifications disregarded many legal facts and statutory requirements.
• Instead of gram sabhas in Scheduled Area and CFR forests and the Panchayat-raj institutions entrusted with soil conservation, water management, social forestry, etc., even though those activities fall squarely within the scope of ESZs.
• There has been no information to the public on a Zonal Master Plan since 2012, when ESZs first began to be notified.