Centre plans revision of eco-sensitive zone guidelines amid states’ concerns

New Delhi: The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL) has called for a review of the guidelines governing Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) around protected areas, stressing the need for a more “flexible” and “site-specific” approach that balances conservation goals with local socio-economic “realities”.

ESZs are buffer areas created around protected forests, wildlife sanctuaries and national parks to protect wildlife and biodiversity from harmful human activities, such as mining, construction and polluting industries. Activities like farming, eco-tourism and the use of renewable energy are usually allowed with restrictions in these areas.

Chairing a meeting of the SC-NBWL on June 26, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said, “Strict protection must be ensured for core areas, especially those that are the origin points of tributaries and critical water resources. However, extending a blanket 10-kilometre ESZs to all protected areas, irrespective of local ecological and geographical conditions, would not serve the intended purpose.”

According to the minutes of the meeting, Yadav cited examples like the Asola, Sukhna and Hastinapur sanctuaries and the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, where uniform ESZ rules are creating “significant challenges”.

“In states like Himachal Pradesh, where approximately 65 per cent of the land is already under forest or protected status, a rigid imposition of ESZ norms could hinder local development, without proportional ecological gains. Therefore, ESZ rules should be adapted to reflect the specific ecological and socio-economic realities of each region,” the minister said.

The member secretary suggested that the ESZ guidelines may be revisited to provide better ecological safeguards.

This should involve stakeholder consultations, including inputs from state governments, relevant ministries, environmental experts and the ESZ division.

A formal inter-ministerial consultation has been suggested to solicit views from all the departments concerned, before finalising any changes in the guidelines.

Following the discussion, the SC-NBWL directed the environment ministry to prepare a note on the issue.

This will be followed by a consultation with relevant divisions of the ministry and later, a joint meeting of the ESZ and wildlife divisions.

The final recommendations will be submitted to the committee for further deliberations.

The issue was placed on the agenda by NBWL member H S Singh, who said that ESZ guidelines, while intended to be flexible, are often treated by state authorities as rigid rules.

Singh recalled that during the preparation of a zonal master plan in Gujarat, he had recommended prohibition of sand mining up to three kilometres around a national park and regulation beyond that.

“However, the notification mentioned complete prohibition of mining activities within a notified ESZ. The guidelines for the preparation of proposals for the declaration of ESZs around national parks and sanctuaries, therefore, require amendments,” he said. Several members and state officials flagged concerns over the negative impact of blanket ESZ provisions.

The chief wildlife warden (CWLW) of Himachal Pradesh said while ESZs have been notified around multiple sanctuaries in the state and zonal master plans (ZMPs) are being prepared, the inclusion of certain activities in the prohibited or regulated categories is affecting local communities.