Environmental activists and lawyers have claimed that the ministry could not reduce the area of sensitive zone as it will be a brazen violation of norms laid by the ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) as well as guidelines of the Supreme Court.
Terming it a dangerous move of the government which will destroy the entire area of Okhla Bird Sanctuary, environmentalists said they will move court if the government reduces the area. The activists claimed that Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Rule-2006 for all kind of construction activity makes it mandatory to prepare impact assessment report and to get clearance either from the state government or from the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL), depending upon the area of the project. However, in case of construction activities in Okhla bird sanctuary area, majority of builders have not followed the procedure.
The environmentalists claimed that in February 2012, MoEF issued a letter to all state governments asking them to declare 10-kilometer area as buffer zone by the end of the month but extended the date till 31 May 2012. As majority of states including UP government failed to reply accordingly, the ministry extended the date with warning that if reply would not come before 31 May 2103, the area, by-default, will be declared as eco-sensitive zone. ‘As per the letter of ministry, 10-kilometer area is a self declared eco-sensitive zone and the ministry has no power to reduce it to 100-meter only citing reasons of development,’ said Anand Arya, a noted environmentalist.
Environmentalist Vikrant Tongad said that the move was also against River Regulation Zone policy, as construction cannot take place in the vicinity of 500 meter of river bank. Flying zone of many species of birds especially migratory birds between Dadri Wetland and Okhla Bird Sanctuary will also be affected if high-rise buildings rise between wetland and sanctuary. ‘Birds from Siberia and other places come to Dadri first and then go towards sanctuary. As they fly in zig-zag way, a natural fly-zone is created automatically. Once people will start living in this area, the zone will be totally defunct,’ added Tongad.
Terming it a dangerous move of the government which will destroy the entire area of Okhla Bird Sanctuary, environmentalists said they will move court if the government reduces the area. The activists claimed that Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Rule-2006 for all kind of construction activity makes it mandatory to prepare impact assessment report and to get clearance either from the state government or from the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL), depending upon the area of the project. However, in case of construction activities in Okhla bird sanctuary area, majority of builders have not followed the procedure.
The environmentalists claimed that in February 2012, MoEF issued a letter to all state governments asking them to declare 10-kilometer area as buffer zone by the end of the month but extended the date till 31 May 2012. As majority of states including UP government failed to reply accordingly, the ministry extended the date with warning that if reply would not come before 31 May 2103, the area, by-default, will be declared as eco-sensitive zone. ‘As per the letter of ministry, 10-kilometer area is a self declared eco-sensitive zone and the ministry has no power to reduce it to 100-meter only citing reasons of development,’ said Anand Arya, a noted environmentalist.
Environmentalist Vikrant Tongad said that the move was also against River Regulation Zone policy, as construction cannot take place in the vicinity of 500 meter of river bank. Flying zone of many species of birds especially migratory birds between Dadri Wetland and Okhla Bird Sanctuary will also be affected if high-rise buildings rise between wetland and sanctuary. ‘Birds from Siberia and other places come to Dadri first and then go towards sanctuary. As they fly in zig-zag way, a natural fly-zone is created automatically. Once people will start living in this area, the zone will be totally defunct,’ added Tongad.