Also: ESZ, ecologically sensitive areas, eco-fragile zones
Definition
Areas notified by the Union environment ministry around protected areas, and in some other fragile landscapes, under the Environment Protection Act 1986, where harmful activities are prohibited or regulated so that they act as shock absorbers for the protected area.
Protected areas cannot survive as islands. Quarries, factories, hotels and highways built right up to their boundaries cut wildlife corridors, pollute water and increase conflict. In 2002, the National Board for Wildlife recommended that land within 10 km of national parks and sanctuaries be treated as eco-fragile. Because states were slow to respond, the Supreme Court in the Goa Foundation case (2006) directed that proposals for eco-sensitive zones be prepared, and that in their absence the 10 km default should apply for environmental clearances.
The environment ministry issued guidelines in 2011 explaining that the width of an ESZ can vary with local conditions and need not be uniform. Each zone is notified separately after the state prepares a proposal, the ministry publishes a draft, and public objections are considered. Apart from zones around protected areas, earlier notifications under the EPA declared fragile regions such as Doon Valley, Mahabaleshwar–Panchgani, Matheran and Dahanu as ecologically sensitive.
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