BENGALURU: Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has written to Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar asking him to take a quick decision on defining the ‘shrunk’ eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of Bannerghatta National Park, as the delay has been affecting development of the area. The letter and the reason given by the CM triggered a strong reaction from activists and forest department officials, who demanded that instead of a blanket reduction of ESZ from 100 metres to 1 km around BNP, the government should follow the notification passed in June 2016. They also alleged that the government wants to keep realtors, miners and multi-nationals happy.
A senior environment department official said the state is pressing for ESZ reduction as the expansion of IIMB, plans of Karnataka Housing Board and commercial works around Jigani, Electronics City, Kanakapura Road and Mysuru Road have been put on hold. In the first notification in June 2016, the MoEF had published a draft stating that the ESZ should be 268.96 sqkm with the distance varying between 100 metres to 4.5 km across the boundary of BNP, which spreads across 260 sqkm. But in February 2019, the state government asked the MoEF to define ESZ of 168.84 sqkm with distance ranging between of 100 metres and 1 km.
Last year, the BNP got a letter from the Centre to have a relook at the notification. After inspection, the PCCF wildlife said the cabinet sub-committees’ 2019 decision will continue. “Until a final decision is taken, the SC order of maintaining a 10 km ESZ will remain. All projects will have to get the Centre’s clearance, delaying the projects,” the official said.
Praveen Bhargav, a member of the former National Board for Wildlife, said the SC on September 15, 2017 questioned the reduction of many ESZs. He said it is surprising that the 10 km ESZ has been reduced to 100 metres by MoEF. “We would like to examine the validity of this reduction. Prima facie, it appears to be an arbitrary exercise of powers by MoEF,” he said.
The Karnataka High Court in January 2020 said that the interim relief will not affect the commercial and developmental activities. “It appears that the CM has not been briefed properly about these orders and the June 2016 notification which the Centre wants to rightly finalise.
The distance of the ESZ towards Bengaluru was 100m even in the 2016 notification and the argument about development of Bengaluru does not hold water. Leaving out some key portions of the crucial elephant corridor connecting Cauvery Sanctuary and north Cauvery Sanctuary on the south and south east, flies against the fundamental principles and objectives of constituting ESZs around protected areas,” Bhargav said. Forest officials said that if ESZ is reduced, quarrying and rampant commercialisation will take place and the department will have no control.