Pilibhit Tiger Reserve Receives Draft Eco-Sensitive Zone Notification After 12-Year Wait
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has taken a significant step towards environmental conservation by issuing a draft notification for the establishment of an Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Uttar Pradesh. This action, executed under Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, was officially gazetted on Tuesday, marking a pivotal development nearly 12 years after the area was first designated as a wildlife sanctuary in February 2014 and later declared a tiger reserve in June of the same year.
Scope and Significance of the Proposed ESZ
The draft notification identifies a total of 230 villages within the proposed Eco-Sensitive Zone, which is designed to function as a regulated buffer around the protected area. According to Anuradha Vemuri, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) for Uttar Pradesh, the ESZ is crucial for minimizing ecological damage and ensuring the safe movement of wildlife. She emphasized that this notification will help prevent harmful activities near forest boundaries and protect fragile ecosystems, thereby enhancing conservation efforts in the region.
Procedural Background and Legal Framework
The process for establishing the ESZ follows a structured procedure, beginning with a committee headed by the district magistrate of Pilibhit. This committee prepares the initial draft proposal, which is then routed through the state government and the principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) before being forwarded to the MoEFCC for final notification. This approach aligns with directions issued by the Supreme Court on December 11, 2018, in the TN Godavarman Thirumulpad versus Union of India case, which mandated the declaration of ESZs within a 10 km radius of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries where notifications were pending.
In compliance with these directives, a committee chaired by the Pilibhit district magistrate proposed an ESZ extending up to 10 km around PTR in May 2014. However, the proposal underwent several revisions over the years. Divisional Forest Officer Manish Singh noted that progress was made after forest authorities in Uttarakhand and Nepal agreed on July 8 last year to a zero-km ESZ limit towards their respective boundaries. This agreement facilitated the submission of the final draft to the state forest administration in September.
Specific Boundaries and Public Consultation
According to the draft notification, the ESZ has been defined with specific boundaries: zero km towards the interstate boundary with Uttarakhand and the international boundary with Nepal, 1 km towards Shahjahanpur district, and 2 km within Pilibhit district around the reserve. The MoEFCC has now invited objections and suggestions from the public within 60 days of the gazette notification being made available, ensuring a participatory approach in the finalization process.
Future Steps and Regulatory Measures
Once the final notification is issued, the state government will be required to prepare a zonal master plan within two years. This plan must be developed in consultation with 11 concerned departments, including environment, forest and wildlife, tourism, agriculture, and the UP State Pollution Control Board, to integrate ecological safeguards into development planning. Additionally, the draft directs the state government to undertake several conservation measures, such as restoring degraded areas, conserving existing water bodies, managing catchment and watershed areas, regulating groundwater use, ensuring soil and moisture conservation, and demarcating existing settlements within the ESZ.
Development activities in the zone will be strictly regulated in accordance with prohibited and regulated categories specified in the notification, aiming to balance conservation with sustainable development.
Addressing Past Violations and Enforcement
The absence of an ESZ notification until now has led to alleged violations, including the construction of more than 50 resorts and other structures within 1 km of the core forest area of PTR. This issue was raised before the National Green Tribunal by an Allahabad High Court lawyer, prompting the tribunal in January to direct the constitution of a high-level committee to examine these violations and submit a report within 10 weeks. The new ESZ notification is expected to provide a legal framework to prevent such incidents in the future and ensure stricter enforcement of environmental regulations.
