Conservationists, government at loggerheads over proposed extent of ESZ around Mukurthi National Park

Once notified, the areas designated as ESZ would have an added layer of regulation to further protect ecologically sensitive areas such as Mukurthi National Park, with activities such as mining being prohibited

The Tamil Nadu Forest Department plans to demarcate an area measuring approximately 37 sq. km surrounding the Mukurthi National Park (MNP) as an ‘Eco-Sensitive Zone’, sources from the department and the Nilgiris district administration confirmed to The Hindu.

While the Supreme Court has stipulated that a minimum area of 1 km surrounding protected areas, national parks, and wildlife sanctuaries must be designated as Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZ), sources in the Forest Department confirmed that around 1.4-1.5 km in the immediate surroundings of the MNP are to be demarcated as ESZ, which is currently in the draft stage.

Once notified, the areas designated as ESZ would have an added layer of regulation to further protect ecologically sensitive areas such as Mukurthi National Park, with activities such as mining being prohibited. The current ESZ that is likely to be notified around MNP will extend up to 1.5 km from the boundaries of the park, encompassing around 37 sq. km in total, officials stated.

A meeting about the proposed delineation was also held recently with Nilgiris District Collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru and top Forest Department officials in attendance.

Speaking to The Hindu, a senior Forest Department official said that the area to be declared as ESZ surrounding Mukurthi National Park had been increased from 500 m to the current proposed area after the Supreme Court’s judgment on Eco-Sensitive Zones last year, which stipulated that a minimum of 1 km surrounding the park must be included as an ESZ.

‘Area needs to be much larger’

Conservationists, however, believe that the area to be notified surrounding Mukurthi needs to be much larger. K. Mohanraj, a conservationist based in Coimbatore, said that ESZs needed to be site-specific and that no scientific studies have been conducted so far. “As it stands, the area that is to be notified as an Eco-Sensitive Zone seems to be arbitrary and unscientific,” he said.

“The Pronob Sen Committee report has suggested a number of criteria for declaring Eco-Sensitive Areas, such as endemicity, origin, and importance of rivers among others. As it stands, the Forest Department is under pressure from the judiciary on the one hand to notify Eco-Sensitive Zones, and at the same time, from people and local communities who oppose the exercise entirely. They are now forced into a position of compromise which defeats the purpose of the ESZ entirely,” he said.

Another conservationist said that the areas surrounding Mukurthi National Park, encompassing parts of the Nilgiris forest division, are home to a large population of tigers, which, with better protection of habitat contiguity, will spill-over into Mukurthi National Park in the coming years, potentially helping reduce human-animal conflict in the region. “This is also a crucial water catchment area for the Moyar and Bhavani rivers. The area designated as ESZ needs to be expanded,” he noted.

“Factors such as presence of corridors, habitat contiguity, and others need to be considered during this exercise. While it may be acceptable that some areas surrounding the park have no area notified as ESZ, there are others which need to be included to encompass larger habitats to prevent fragmentation,” the conservationist added.

A Forest Department official said that the current area being considered was arrived at following the natural contours and features of the MNP. “The MNP is surrounded by the Nilgiris and Gudalur forest divisions in Tamil Nadu, as well as Silent Valley National Park in Kerala. These areas have well-established contiguity, even extending till Mudumalai Tiger Reserve,” said the official who requested anonymity as the report was still in the draft stages.

When contacted, Field Director of MTR, R. Kiruba Shankar said that the Forest Department would study existing maps and identify corridors and landscapes linking Mukurthi National Park with other protected areas before deciding on the extent of the ESZ.

Nilgiris Collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru said that the areas currently being considered to be included in the ESZ have no human settlements and would have no impact on the livelihoods of local communities.

Published - November 29, 2024 05:50 pm IST