KOCHI: Opposing the move to impose 1-km eco-sensitive zone around wildlife sanctuaries and national parks, Kerala Congress (M) chairman Jose K Mani on Thursday demanded that the reserve forests in Kerala should be considered eco-sensitive zones (ESZ) to avoid forceful relocation of people living in forest fringes.
“While national parks and wildlife sanctuaries have a combined area of 3,300 sq km, reserve forests extend up to 9,438 sq km. Around 69.4% of the land in Kerala has been already notified as regulated areas and only 30.6% of the land is available for habitation, cultivation and development. The wildlife density is only 20 per sq km while the human population density is 1,136 per sq km. Imposing new restrictions in the name of eco-sensitive zone will bring human habitations under tremendous stress,” Jose told TNIE.
He said the Supreme Court order directing to declare 1km area from forest boundary as ESZ will have serious impact on the life and livelihood of lakhs of farmers living in fringe areas. “The agricultural land around forest areas has been legally granted to farmers and treating them as encroachers is unfair. Kerala has a land area of 38,863 sq km which covers only 1.1% of the total geographical area of the country. However, the population density is very high. There is a sharp decline in the availability of agricultural land,” he said.
Pointing out that the agricultural land along forest boundaries and inside reserve forests was legally granted to farmers five decades ago, Jose said more than 65% of the reserve forest adjoining and surrounding wildlife sanctuaries and national parks are free for expansion. “If required, the sanctuaries and national parks can be relocated to the central part of the reserve forests,” he said.
Jose said he has submitted a memorandum to the Central Empowered Committee demanding steps to collect data regarding subsisting structures, cultivation, human habitations, houses and population located within 1km area around wildlife sanctuaries and national parks through physical verification.
Quoting from the State of Forest Report published in 2021, he said the average forest cover of the country is 24.62% while that of Kerala is 54.7%. The state has a recorded forest area of 9,679sqkm which amounts to 24.91% of the total geographical area, compared to the national average of 21.71%. Pointing out that the objective of ESZ is to preserve the forests, Jose said it is unfair to encroach on revenue land when there is more than sufficient reserve forest available in the state.
