15 protected areas in Karnataka await ESZ protection

A total of 15 protected areas in Karnataka, including Anshi-Dandeli and Nagarahole tiger reserve forests, are yet to get the eco-sensitive zones (ESZ), which act as a buffer area to reduce pressure on the natural environment of the wildlife.

The Union government in February 2011 issued guidelines that stressed the need to identify ESZ. “The purpose of declaring ESZ around national parks and sanctuaries is to create some kind of ‘shock absorber’ for the protected areas. They would also act as a transition zone from areas of high protection to areas involving lesser protection,” it said.

Karnataka has 36 sanctuaries and five national parks. The Centre has issued final notification identifying ESZ for 29 of the protected areas with the remaining 15, including three proposals for extension, still waiting for the ESZ notification.

Though the guidelines stated that the ESZ rules were regulatory rather than prohibitive “unless and otherwise so required”, the state government has not been able to convince the stakeholders of the necessity to notify the zones.

Last year, a cabinet sub-committee headed by Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre, gave in-principle approval for declaring ESZ for six protected areas: Kappatagudda (322.69 sqkm), Bukkapatna Chinkara sanctuary (157.08 sqkm), Kamasandra sanctuary (93.27 sqkm), Nagarahole Tiger Reserve (573.97 sqkm), Anshi-Dandeli Tiger Reserve (669.06 sqkm), Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary (145.369 sqkm).

The cabinet needs to approve the ESZ proposal for six areas and forward it to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) for issuing the final notification.

Meanwhile, other areas in Karnataka are yet to get the shock absorbers. Areas, like Bhadra Tiger Reserve, which enjoyed the status of sanctuary since 1951, and Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary, whose draft notification was issued in 1974, are awaiting ESZ. Similarly, the recently declared sanctuaries in Bional, Bankapura, Uttaregudda and Arasikere also don’t enjoy ESZ protection.