112:. The purpose of declaring ESZs is to create some kind of "shock absorbers" to the protected areas by regulating and managing the activities around such areas. They also act as a transition zone from areas of high protection to areas involving lesser protection. As per the National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016), issued by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, 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.
25:
133:
safeguards. Besides Rule 5(1) of the
Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986 states that central government can prohibit or restrict the location of industries and carrying on certain operations or processes on the basis of considerations like the biological diversity of an area, maximum allowable limits of concentration of pollutants for an area, environmentally compatible land use, and proximity to protected areas. The above two clauses have been effectively used by the government to declare ESZs or EFAs.
190:
157:
In response, only a few States
Governments had concerned over applicability of the 10 kilometres range from the Protected Area Boundary and informed that most of the human habitation and other areas including important cities in these States would come under the purview of Eco-Sensitive Zone and will
165:
17 March 2005 : Considering the constraints communicated by the States, the proposal was re-examined by
National Board for Wildlife and it was decided that the 'delineation of eco-sensitive would have to be site specific and relate to regulation, rather than prohibition, of specific activities'
136:
The same criteria have been used by the government to declare No
Development Zones. Time to time, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) approves a comprehensive set of guidelines laying down parameters and criteria for declaring ESZs. A committee constituted by MoEF puts
132:
does not mention the word "Eco-Sensitive Zones". However, Section 3(2)(v) of the Act, says that
Central Government can restrict areas in which any industries, operations or processes or class of industries, operations or processes shall not be carried out or shall be carried out subject to certain
161:
The
National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016) indicates that "Areas outside the protected area network are often vital ecological corridor links and must be protected to prevent isolation of fragments of biodiversity which will not survive in the long run. Land and Water use policies will need to
153:
6 February 2002 : The
Additional Director General of Forests requested all the Chief Wildlife Wardens for listing out such areas within 10 kilometres of the boundaries of the National Parks and Sanctuaries and furnish detailed proposals for their notification as Eco-Sensitive areas under the
253:
Thereafter, MoEF set up a committee under the
Chairmanship of Shri Pronab Sen for identifying parameters for designating Ecologically Sensitive Areas in India. The parameters identified were richness of flora & fauna, slope, rarity and endemism of species in the area, origins of rivers
137:
this together. The guidelines lay out the criteria based on which areas can be declared as ESZs. These include
Species Based (Endemism, Rarity etc.), Ecosystem Based (sacred groves, frontier forests etc.) and Geo-morphologic feature based (uninhabited islands, origins of rivers etc.).
162:
accept the imperative of strictly protecting ecologically fragile habitats and regulating use elsewhere." It also indicates that "All identified areas around
Protected Areas and Wildlife Corridors to be declared as ecologically fragile under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986."
150:, wherein it was envisaged that "lands falling within 10 kilometres of the boundaries of National Parks and Sanctuaries should be notified as eco-fragile zones under Section 3(v) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and Rule 5 of the Environment Protection Rules, 1986."
184:
4 December 2006 : Supreme Court directed the Ministry of Environment & Forests to give a final opportunity to all the States/Union territories to respond to the letter (referred above) and the State Government send their proposals within 4 weeks, to the
273:
The Supreme Court of India in June 2022 directed that every protected forest, national park, and wildlife sanctuary across the country should have a mandatory eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of a minimum of 1 km starting from their demarcated boundaries.
266:
Moreover, in case where sensitive corridors, connectivity and ecologically important patches, crucial for landscape linkage, are beyond 10 kilometres width, these should be included in the Eco-Sensitive Zones.
270:
Further, even in the context of a particular Protected Area, the distribution of an area of ESZ and the extent of regulation may not be uniform all around and it could be of variable width and extent.
120:
ESZs are regulated by central government through the Min. of Environment, Forests and Climate change (MoEFCC). The Ministry came out with new guidelines for the regulation of such areas in 2011.
505:
283:
93:
238:
their judgement, in Shri Anand Arya & Anr, T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad vs Union Of India & Ors on 3 December 2010 relating to the construction of a park at
399:
452:
525:
515:
510:
46:
318:
250:
had not declared Eco-Sensitive zones around its protected areas as the Government of India had not issued any guidelines in this regard.
170:
520:
68:
129:
293:
105:
371:
495:
298:
109:
247:
147:
263:
An ESZ could go up to 10 kilometres around a protected area as provided in the Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 2002.
39:
33:
50:
500:
232:
178:
530:
97:
166:
and the said decision was communicated to all the State Governments vide letter dated 27 May 2005.
288:
146:
21 January 2002 : Wildlife Conservation Strategy - 2002 was adopted in the meeting of
243:
189:
174:
101:
489:
346:
428:"T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad vs Union Of India & Ors on 3 December, 2010"
217:
427:
453:"MOEF Guidelines for Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) around Protected Areas"
213:
209:
205:
239:
221:
188:
89:
225:
18:
400:"Order dated 04.12.2006 in W.P. 460 of 2004 -Goa Foundation"
181:
regarding the issue of declaration of eco-sensitive zones.
480:
204:
Following the Supreme Court order, only States like
94:
Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change
506:Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
284:Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
8:
319:"The Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986"
69:Learn how and when to remove this message
32:This article includes a list of general
310:
372:"Wildlife Conservation Strategy 2002"
7:
130:Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
38:it lacks sufficient corresponding
14:
248:State Government of Uttar Pradesh
158:adversely affect the development.
228:forwarded proposals to the MoEF.
23:
294:List of national parks of India
526:Wildlife conservation in India
516:Forest administration in India
1:
299:Wildlife sanctuaries of India
511:Nature conservation in India
148:National Board for Wildlife
547:
171:Public Interest Litigation
86:Ecologically Fragile Areas
457:www.conservationindia.org
521:Protected areas of India
16:Protected areas in India
351:General Knowledge Today
53:more precise citations.
233:Supreme Court of India
193:
347:"Eco-sensitive Zones"
246:, had noted that the
192:
496:Environment of India
244:Okhla Bird Sanctuary
154:above-mentioned Act.
110:Wildlife Sanctuaries
88:(EFAs) are areas in
199:Need for guidelines
177:before the Hon'ble
98:Government of India
82:Eco-Sensitive Zones
194:
289:Van Vigyan Kendra
173:was filed by the
124:Statutory backing
79:
78:
71:
538:
481:Official Website
468:
467:
465:
463:
449:
443:
442:
440:
438:
432:indiankanoon.org
424:
418:
417:
415:
413:
404:
396:
390:
389:
387:
385:
376:
368:
362:
361:
359:
357:
343:
337:
336:
334:
332:
323:
315:
92:notified by the
74:
67:
63:
60:
54:
49:this article by
40:inline citations
27:
26:
19:
546:
545:
541:
540:
539:
537:
536:
535:
501:Protected areas
486:
485:
477:
472:
471:
461:
459:
451:
450:
446:
436:
434:
426:
425:
421:
411:
409:
402:
398:
397:
393:
383:
381:
374:
370:
369:
365:
355:
353:
345:
344:
340:
330:
328:
321:
317:
316:
312:
307:
280:
261:
201:
143:
126:
118:
102:Protected Areas
75:
64:
58:
55:
45:Please help to
44:
28:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
544:
542:
534:
533:
528:
523:
518:
513:
508:
503:
498:
488:
487:
484:
483:
476:
475:External links
473:
470:
469:
444:
419:
391:
363:
338:
309:
308:
306:
303:
302:
301:
296:
291:
286:
279:
276:
260:
257:
256:
255:
251:
229:
200:
197:
196:
195:
186:
182:
175:Goa Foundation
167:
163:
159:
155:
151:
142:
139:
125:
122:
117:
114:
106:National Parks
77:
76:
59:September 2019
31:
29:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
543:
532:
529:
527:
524:
522:
519:
517:
514:
512:
509:
507:
504:
502:
499:
497:
494:
493:
491:
482:
479:
478:
474:
458:
454:
448:
445:
433:
429:
423:
420:
408:
407:envfor.nic.in
401:
395:
392:
380:
379:envfor.nic.in
373:
367:
364:
352:
348:
342:
339:
327:
326:envfor.nic.in
320:
314:
311:
304:
300:
297:
295:
292:
290:
287:
285:
282:
281:
277:
275:
271:
268:
264:
259:Extent of ESZ
258:
252:
249:
245:
241:
237:
234:
230:
227:
223:
219:
215:
211:
207:
203:
202:
198:
191:
187:
183:
180:
179:Supreme Court
176:
172:
168:
164:
160:
156:
152:
149:
145:
144:
140:
138:
134:
131:
123:
121:
115:
113:
111:
107:
103:
99:
95:
91:
87:
83:
73:
70:
62:
52:
48:
42:
41:
35:
30:
21:
20:
531:Biodiversity
460:. Retrieved
456:
447:
435:. Retrieved
431:
422:
410:. Retrieved
406:
394:
382:. Retrieved
378:
366:
354:. Retrieved
350:
341:
329:. Retrieved
325:
313:
272:
269:
265:
262:
235:
231:The Hon'ble
135:
127:
119:
85:
81:
80:
65:
56:
37:
462:20 November
437:20 November
412:20 November
384:20 November
356:20 November
331:20 November
51:introducing
490:Categories
305:References
141:Background
96:(MoEFCC),
84:(ESZs) or
34:references
218:Meghalaya
185:Ministry.
116:Authority
278:See also
214:Mizoram
210:Gujarat
206:Haryana
100:around
47:improve
36:, but
403:(PDF)
375:(PDF)
322:(PDF)
242:near
240:Noida
222:Assam
90:India
464:2016
439:2016
414:2016
386:2016
358:2016
333:2016
254:etc.
236:vide
128:The
108:and
226:Goa
492::
455:.
430:.
405:.
377:.
349:.
324:.
224:,
220:,
216:,
212:,
208:,
169:A
104:,
466:.
441:.
416:.
388:.
360:.
335:.
72:)
66:(
61:)
57:(
43:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
