SC panel seeks chief secy response on green zone norms ‘flout' in Satkosia
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Bhubaneswar: The central empowered committee (CEC) of the
Supreme Court
has sought a response from Odisha chief secretary Manoj Ahuja regarding alleged violations of the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) in the draft proposal of the wildlife wing to carry out tourism activities in Satkosia Tiger Reserve.
Satkosia Abhayaranya and Praja Surakshya Samiti (SAPSS), which filed the petition in SC, stated that Satkosia is a Ramsar Convention site and the forest department is attempting to modify the 2011 ESZ norms to allow the tourism department to undertake massive projects in the reserve. In the new draft proposal, the ESZ has been reduced to almost zero in the Baliput and Badmul areas, enabling the tourism department to proceed with construction, it claimed.
The petition cited a 2022 SC judgment stating that if tourism inside a tiger reserve is to be promoted, it must be eco-tourism.
While seeking response from Ahuja, CEC chairman Siddhant Das on May 16 wrote, "I am forwarding herewith a soft copy of the complaint on May 9 from Satkosia Abhayaranya and Praja Surakshya Samiti on the subject mentioned above. It is requested that the detailed response/comments of the state of Odisha may please be sent to the CEC at the earliest."
"Satkosia authorities have plans to dilute the borders of the reserve to favour the tourism department. Promoting commercial tourism in the core area goes against the spirit and concept of eco-tourism, which is developed in buffer areas. Without approval from the State Board for Wildlife and National Board for Wildlife, Satkosia authorities have allowed construction by Odisha Bridge and Construction Corporation Ltd.
The department also plans to reconstruct the Gharial Research and Conservation Unit (Gracu) at Tikarpada," said Naba Kishor Bisoyi, president of the samiti, quoting the petition he sent to the Chief Justice of India.
Bisoyi also drew the attention of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), additional director general (wildlife), ministry of environment, forests and climate change, and deputy director general of forests, regional office.
"The 2011 norms allows for a 10-km ESZ from the Satkosia boundary. We filed the draft proposal to demarcate the ESZ afresh, which was done in consultation with people," said Saroj Panda, divisional forest officer, Satkosia.
Prasanna Behera, a local wildlife activist, said the way the draft plan has been drawn, the reserve will be almost devoid of the ESZ in its core area close to the Mahanadi gorge. "It is appalling that the wildlife wing was so lenient in redrawing the ESZ to suit tourism needs. Apart from compromising tiger conservation, it will severely affect the conservation of crocodiles and gharials," Behera said.
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