BENGALURU: Ministers and MLAs, whose constituencies fall under the Western Ghats region, on Thursday suggested that there should be no buffer zones. This suggestion was made at a discussion on the implementation of the Kasturirangan report.
The meeting was held with stakeholders and politicians from 11 districts and 39 taluks, and officials of the forest department, where it was pointed out that of the 20,668 sq km of forest land to be protected as per the report, 16,114 sq km is protected under various categories, including tiger reserves, sanctuaries, reserve forests and so on.
There is no need to include more areas. While they rejected the implementation of the Kasturirangan report in totality, they asserted that buffer zone regulation should be relaxed.
Present at the meeting, Forest, Environment and Ecology Minister Eshwar B Khandre said it was only a suggestion. Speaking to TNIE, he confirmed that the suggestion to have zero buffer zones was made. Mentioning that he is aware of the Supreme Court’s directions on maintaining buffer zones, Khandre said the suggestion to completely reject the Kasturirangan report cannot be implemented, since the matter is in the apex court, and that the state will look prejudiced.
“It is practical to implement the report partially, as already 16,114 sq km area is well-protected. The MLAs and ministers demanded a resurvey of forest land, which could show that the protected forest area in the state is much more than what is suggested in the Kasturirangan report of 20,668 sq km. This can be done, but the final decision on it is yet to be taken,” he said.