A non-governmental organisation (NGO) has raised a serious red flag regarding the functioning of committees tasked with protecting environmentally fragile areas in Karnataka's Shivamogga district. The complaint centres on alleged procedural violations in the establishment of Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) monitoring bodies for two critical protected areas.
Core Allegations: Committees Formed Sans Government Nod
The crux of the complaint, filed recently, states that the ESZ monitoring committees for Kudremukh National Park and the Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary have been constituted without obtaining the necessary permission from the competent government authorities. This alleged bypassing of official protocol raises fundamental questions about the legitimacy and legal standing of these panels.
Eco-Sensitive Zones are vital buffer areas surrounding national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, created to minimise the negative impact of development and human activity on core forest ecosystems. Their monitoring committees are pivotal in overseeing land use, regulating activities, and ensuring conservation guidelines are followed within these zones.
Potential Implications for Conservation Governance
The NGO's intervention highlights a significant governance gap. If the committees were indeed formed without proper authorisation, their decisions and actions could be legally challenged. This creates a state of uncertainty that could hamper effective conservation management and enforcement in the ESZs surrounding Kudremukh and Someshwara.
Such a scenario poses direct risks:
- Erosion of Regulatory Authority: Unauthorised committees may lack the legal mandate to enforce rules, potentially leading to unchecked violations within the sensitive zones.
- Stalled Decision-Making: Projects or issues requiring committee approval could be stuck in limbo due to questions over the panel's validity.
- Undermined Conservation Goals: The primary objective of shielding biodiversity hotspots from adverse impacts could be severely compromised.
Call for Scrutiny and Rectification
The complaint, dated 07 December 2025, serves as a formal demand for the concerned government departments to investigate the matter thoroughly. It calls for immediate corrective action to either regularise the committees through due process or dissolve and reconstitute them with proper authorisation.
This incident underscores the critical need for transparency and strict adherence to procedural norms in environmental governance. The functioning of ESZ monitoring committees is not merely an administrative formality but a cornerstone for the protection of India's precious natural heritage. The authorities are now expected to examine the allegations and clarify the status of these panels to ensure the ecological safeguards for Shivamogga's renowned protected areas remain robust and legally sound.
