KOCHI: The state government is bound to submit the satellite survey report on buffer zone before the Supreme Court when the case comes up for hearing on January 11, highly placed sources at the forest minister’s office said. “While submitting the report, we will seek more time to submit a physical survey report as the satellite survey is not accurate,” the sources said on Monday.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had asserted a day earlier that the satellite mapping report was not final as the state government was convinced that it has some flaws. In its June 3 order, the SC had given 3 months time to the principal chief conservators of forest in states to submit a report on subsisting structures within the 1-km buffer zone around national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
The order said the states can take assistance of satellite imaging or photography using drones to identify the structures. The ESZ may be diluted in the overwhelming public interest for which the states have to approach Central Empowered Committee (CEC) and the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), the court said. Both bodies have to give a recommendation to the court in this regard.
The Kerala government is pinning its hope on the review petition filed in August before the SC. The state hopes that the court may give relaxation to human habitations based on the recommendations of the CEC. The state has formed a committee led by former Supreme Court Judge Thottathil Radhakrishnan to give legal sanctity for the recommendation to avoid human habitations while finalising the eco sensitive zone.
“We have opened help desk in all panchayats where the affected people can submit complaints. The Kerala State Remote Sensing and Environment Centre (KSREC) has developed a mobile App to rectify the mistakes. The high level meeting on Tuesday will evaluate the steps taken to address the complaints,” the sources at the forest minister’s office said.
The MoEF&CC had issued draft notifications for declaration of buffer zones over a period of two years from 2019. Kerala had submitted recommendations to remove human habitations from the draft notification. However, the Supreme Court made one-km buffer zone mandatory for all national parks and wildlife sanctuaries on June 3.
“Around 85% of the structures in buffer zone area have been identified in the satellite survey. We are trying to include the 15% structures which were not identified in satellite survey,” said the source.
FARMERS’ ARGUMENTS
Of the 9,679 sq km recorded forest, only 3,300 sq km come under National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries. So the eco sensitive zone should be shifted to the boundary of the recorded forest. The farmers are cultivating revenue land for which they have got title deeds. The forest department has no right to declare revenue land as buffer zone.
CHURCH TO ORGANISE RALLY IN KOTHAMANGALAM
Kochi: The Kothamangalam diocese of the Syro-Malabar Church will organise a rally in Kothamangalam town on Tuesday demanding exclusion of human habitations from the buffer zone of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in the state. The protest rally will start from Kothamangalam KSRTC junction at 4.15 pm and culminate at High Range Junction. Bishop Mar George Madathikandathil and other prominent leaders of the Church will address the meeting.