Govt hurries to clear ESZ cuts around sanctuaries

• Ahmedabad
• Tue,25 Apr 2017
  

  Summary: "The government's hurry comes in wake of a petition filed in the high court challenging the reduction of ESZ area in Gir. "Once the committee clears it, the same cannot be revised," said the senior officer in Gandhinagar. The department has been informed that the petition only covers Gir, and it does not have mention of other sanctuaries including Nalsarovar, Wild Ass among others. I would just say that I will not comment on the issue. "These proposals for reduced and revised ESZ boundaries are being sent to the ESZ committee of the ministry of environment as objections raised by the local people," the official said.The officer pointed out that the government has said the next meeting is scheduled to be held in June or July and hence they want the ESZ area cuts to be cleared in the next meeting itself.

  
  
  VIDEO : Arnold Schwarzenegger receives Legion of Honour for environmental work
  Ahmedabad: The state government has in a verbal directive asked forest department officials to burn the midnight oil and immediately prepare a revised draft Eco Sensitive Zone proposal for the various sanctuaries which have recently undergone revisions.The department has asked all chief conservators of forest to immediately send the revised ESZ proposal to the ministry of environment and forest for final clearance.When contacted, the minister of forest and environment, Ganpat Vasava, said "We cannot reveal everything. I would just say that I will not comment on the issue."The government's hurry comes in wake of a petition filed in the high court challenging the reduction of ESZ area in Gir. The department has been informed that the petition only covers Gir, and it does not have mention of other sanctuaries including Nalsarovar, Wild Ass among others."We have been asked to clear the ESZ and draw the boundaries as soon as we can, so that the same can be cleared by the committee before any one challenges them," said a senior forest department official.The state government in two meetings, in January and in April, had finalized its proposal for reducing the size of Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZ) around sanctuaries owing to developmental pressures.
  
  The group of ministers who met again in April finalized revised ESZs for almost all important wildlife sanctuaries in the state including the Nalsarovar wetland Ramsar site, Gir-Asiatic Lion sanctuary and the Asiatic Wild Ass sanctuary, which figures on Unesco's tentative list of world natural heritage sites."These proposals for reduced and revised ESZ boundaries are being sent to the ESZ committee of the ministry of environment as objections raised by the local people," the official said.The officer pointed out that the government has said the next meeting is scheduled to be held in June or July and hence they want the ESZ area cuts to be cleared in the next meeting itself. "Once the committee clears it, the same cannot be revised," said the senior officer in Gandhinagar.. .
  
  Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/govt-hurries-to-clear-esz-cuts-around-sanctuaries/articleshow/58351293.cms