KOCHI: The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) on Friday informed the Kerala High Court that clearance from the standing committee of National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) is mandatory for proposals involving development activities within 10 km of a national park or wildlife sanctuary.
The submission was made on a petition seeking a directive against construction of an airstrip and operation of aircraft on 4.85 hectares of land at Manjumla in Idukki district. The NTCA said the chief conservator of forest (wildlife) had reported that the under-construction airstrip was near Periyar Tiger Reserve. The aerial distance of the runway was 630 metres from the sanctuary’s boundary.
It said the area possessed ecologically distinct characteristics and housed ecologically important habitats like the ‘Shola forest’ and ‘Temperate Montane Grasslands’ that are vital for the sustenance of the prey base of carnivores.
“Any disturbance to the habitat due to operation of flights may impact the migration of birds, reduce the breeding capacity of animals and affect the life cycle of the fauna. The adjoining area of the airstrip also has a high density of tigers and co-predators,” said the NTCA.
It also said the Union Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change had stipulated that proposals involving developmental activity or projects located within notified eco-sensitive zones (ESZ) shall be regulated and governed by the concerned ESZ notification.
“It has been mandated that for proposals involving developmental activity or project located within 10 km of a national park or wildlife sanctuary — wherein the final ESZ notification is not notified or ESZ notification is in draft stage — clearance from the NWBL standing committee is mandatory.
In such cases, the project proponent should submit an application simultaneously for the grant of Terms of Reference/environmental clearance as well as wildlife clearance,” the NTCA informed the court.
