In a major step towards augmenting environmental conservation, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change declared the declaration of Eco-sensitive Zones (ESZs) around protected areas, including national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
A total of 485 Protected Areas spread all over the country come under the ambit of the programme. It aims at making a protective buffer around these ecologically fragile regions so that the delicate balance of their ecosystems is not disturbed as a consequence of human activities. So far, 345 notifications have been issued including 11 in the state covering 13 Protected Areas of Andhra Pradesh and 22 in the state covering 23 Protected Areas of Gujarat.
Land, in the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution, has been given exclusive powers to the States: they have powers to legislate and, by implication, recommend Eco-sensitive Areas or Eco-fragile Areas. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change declares such areas, based on proposals received from State Governments, for protecting biodiversity and maintaining ecological integrity of protected areas. These would act as the buffer or transition complexes. What has to be borne in mind is that these are the sort of “shock absorbers” course between the totally protected areas and the human activities. These would avoid overexploitation and would also help in saving the peculiar flora and fauna of the region.
An important feature of the ESZ notification is that within two years from the date of publication of the notification, the State Governments will have to prepare a Zonal Master Plan. It is the objective of this plan to regulate development within the ESZ so that economic activities with regard to such developments are based on sustainable practices ensuring that they do not result in environmental degradation. The Zonal Master Plan shall also include the preparation of a Tourism Master Plan, which incorporates the inventory of heritage sites, whether natural or built, found within the ESZ. The initiative will achieve a balance between conservation and economic development by the creation of a livelihood opportunity for the local communities and set a conservation precedent.
Financially, the Centrally Sponsored Schemes and Central Sector Schemes of the Ministry hold a pivotal role in the funding requirements for conservation, sustainability, and development of Eco-sensitive Zones and other eco-fragile zones. The financial resources so provided turn quite significant in implementing the conservation strategies and in preserving the ecological balance, besides contributing to the goals of sustainable development in the regions so concerned.
The step portrays the sincerity of the Indian government towards environmental protection without forgetting the concerns of local people. By creating eco-sensitive zones, it could ensure the protection of the rich biodiversity of the country and encourage a model of development that is sustainable and inclusive. While human activities are increasingly pressurizing natural habitats, the creation of ESZs around the PAs would be a proactive measure for the preservation of India’s environmental heritage for the benefit of future generations.
The Ministry’s efforts, therefore, are in consonance with global conservation goals and lead credence to an increasingly held view that environmental protection has to go pari passu with economic development. As more zones are declared and then their Zonal Master Plans implemented, the impact of these measures shall likely go a long way in saving India’s natural ecosystems.