• Eco-Sensitive Zones or Ecologically Fragile Areas are areas within 10 kms around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
• The Supreme Court directed that every protected forest, national park and wildlife sanctuary across the country should have a mandatory eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of a minimum one km starting from their demarcated boundaries.
• ESZs are notified by Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change(MoEFCC), Government of India under Environment Protection Act 1986.
• In case of places with sensitive corridors, connectivity and ecologically important patches, crucial for landscape linkage, even area beyond 10 km width can also be included in the eco-sensitive zone.
• The basic aim is to regulate certain activities around National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries so as to minimise the negative impacts of such activities on the fragile ecosystem encompassing the protected areas.
• They also act as a transition zone from areas of high protection to areas involving lesser protection.
• Activities Permitted under Eco-Sensitive Zones – Ongoing agricultural or horticultural practices, rainwater harvesting, organic farming, use of renewable energy sources, adoption of green technology for all activities.
• Activities prohibited under ESZs – commercial mining, saw mills, industries causing pollution (air, water, soil, noise etc), the establishment of major hydroelectric projects (HEP), commercial use of wood, Tourism activities like hot-air balloons over the National Park, discharge of effluents or any solid waste or production of hazardous substances.
• Activities under regulation– Felling of trees, the establishment of hotels and resorts, commercial use of natural water, erection of electrical cables, drastic change of agriculture system, e.g. adoption of heavy technology, pesticides etc, widening of roads.

Model Question :

Q. With reference to the Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZ), consider the following statements :

1. Eco-Sensitive Zones are areas within 1 km around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
2. ESZs are notified by Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change(MoEFCC), under Wildlife Protection Act 1972.

Which of the statements given above is /are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer : D

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