Centre’s revised draft for Gir forest proposes reduction in size of eco-sensitive zone

The Gir Protected Area is divided into the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary (GWLS), Gir National Park (GNP), Paniya Wildlife Sanctuary (PWLS) and Mitiyala Wildlife Sanctuary (MWLS) successful Junagadh, Gir Somnath and Amreli districts of Saurashtra.

Over the past one-and-a-half decades, Gir has witnessed an eco-tourism boom, starring to a consequent roar successful hospitality and allied industries. The areas surrounding Gir are besides affluent successful minerals similar limestone, achromatic trap and sand, which are chiefly operation material. Conservationists and wildlife activists person agelong been demanding a notified ESZ astir the Gir Protected Area for regulating undesirable activities detrimental to wildlife and to supply a buffer to the expanding numbers of chaotic animals.

For the deficiency of a notified ESZ, a 10 km country extending outwards from the Gir PA bound is treated arsenic effectual ESZ, arsenic per the Supreme Court guidelines.

However, the Centre acceptable the shot rolling again for notifying an ESZ. In an bonzer gazette dated September 18, 2024, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) published a draught notification,marking  2061.77 sq kms country astir Gir and covering 196 villages of Junagadh, Amreli and Gir Somnath districts arsenic ESZ astir Gir PA.

The projected ESZ comprises 1779.32 sq km of gross areas successful these villages but excludes the 32.67 sq km country of gamtal (human colony country of a village) of 185 villages and besides leaves retired an arsenic ample country from the purview of ESZ for aboriginal enlargement of villages.

No commercialized mining, chromatic quarrying oregon crushing  is permitted successful a notified ESZ nor are polluting factories allowed. Establishment of large hydroelectric projects is besides prohibited portion operation enactment is regulated strictly successful specified zones.As GWL, GNP and PWLS are contiguous, their ESZ widen outward successful the scope of nil to 9.5 km from their demarcated boundaries. Located 9.5 km northbound of the GWLS border, Monvel colony successful Amreli’s Dhari taluka is the farthest constituent successful the draught ESZ astir Gir PA.

Ladudi colony successful Malia taluka of Junagadh connected the occidental fringes of GWLS is the shortest grade successful the draught ESZ. The projected ESZ besides covers 163 sq km of riverine areas of 17 rivers, 12.17 sq kms country of Tulshishyam spiritual spot wrong GWLS and 107 sq kms of 4 onshore corridors utilized by lions to determination from Gir to Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary successful the northwest and towards Bhavnagar successful the east.

The draught notification covers astir full courses of rivers similar Hiran, Shetrunji, Raval, Shingoda, Machhundri etc with ESZ extending from 250 m to 750 m from beds of these rivers. The draught ESZ volition beryllium unfastened to the public’s objections oregon suggestions for 60 days. The mean process is to notify the last ESZ aft taking specified suggestions and objections into account.  The revised connection to earmark 2061 sq km arsenic buffer astir Gir marks a simplification of much than 1267 sq kms erstwhile compared to the draught ESZ notification which was published connected October 25, 2016 by the Centre.

The cardinal authorities had past projected to notify 3,328 sq km, covering 291 villages arsenic ESZ astir Gir PA.  The draught projected to widen ESZ — up to 17.9 km from the bound of MWLS — and besides included 212 sq kms of raised onshore successful 33 villages and 504 sq kms of notified reserved, protected oregon unclassified wood country successful ESZ.   However, Biren Padhiya, a wildlife activistic moved the Gujarat High Court with a nationalist involvement notification (PIL) successful 2017, alleging proposals were sent to trim the projected EZA to conscionable 1140 sq kms lone and that astatine definite locations, it extended up to conscionable 500 metres from the sanctuary boundary.

On April 19, 2017, the HC issued an order, restraining the Centre from issuing immoderate last notification of ESZ connected the ground of draught ESZ notification published connected October 25, 2016. However,  portion proceeding the PIL successful July 2023, the HC allowed the authorities authorities to nonstop caller connection for Gir PA ESZ. Accordingly, the authorities authorities sent different revised draft, proposing a buffer country smaller than the 2016 notification but larger than the 2017 proposal. The latest draught notification is based connected the 3rd connection sent by the authorities government.

“There were protests, particularly from Amreli against including immense swathes of gross onshore and rivers successful ESZ. Sand mining is an important commercialized enactment successful Amreli and a root of gross for the government. Experts person opined that the complaint of replenishment of soil successful Shetrunji is 1 ft per annum. Therefore, immoderate stretches of the stream people person not been included successful the revised draught ESZ,” a authorities serviceman told The Indian Express, adding, “However, the revised draught is soundless astir reserved wood and unclassified wood tracts and this tin invitation occupation in

future.”