Jaipur : Instead of preserving the state’s national parks, tiger and leopard reserves, sanctuaries, forest land, eco-sensitive zones and the surrounding areas, the revenue department and urban bodies are changing the land use there for private projects. The Forest Department, objecting to this, has directed the Collector, Revenue Department, Development Authority, City Development Trust and urban bodies that in future, before approving any project or changing the land use in such reserve areas, it is mandatory to take NOC from the concerned Deputy Forest Conservator. This order of Additional Chief Secretary of Forest Department Arpana Arora has created panic among those hotel, resort operators and other activity operators, which are still running in the restricted area. Also, those starting new projects are also making rounds of the department. However, Arora has re-circulated the orders issued earlier and has given instructions to ensure compliance on that basis. It has provisions related to keeping such areas protected. It is being said that land use changes are being made rapidly in many places including the capital Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur, Kumbhalgarh, due to which there is a threat of the reserve area being affected.
This is how the ban is
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has to strictly adhere to the environmental clearance, wildlife clearance for projects and other activities within and outside the Eco Sensitive Zone of the protected area.
Industrial and commercial activities are prohibited within one kilometre from the boundary of notified National Park, Wildlife Sanctuary, Reserve Forest Area or Eco Sensitive Zone, whichever is more.
For those national parks or wildlife sanctuaries for which eco-sensitive zones have not been notified, there are instructions to keep the boundary up to 10 kilometres. No activity of any kind is permitted there.
Commercial and industrial activities are prohibited within a radius of one kilometer of Ranthambore, Sariska Tiger Reserve, Jawai Leopard Reserve and Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary. Here, land conversion cannot be done within a radius of one kilometer.
Orders were issued while sitting in AC rooms, hotels and resorts are still running…
The question that arises is that the department has issued such orders earlier also and has instructed to follow them. Despite this, how are hotels, resorts and other activities still being run in the protected and adjacent restricted areas. Why did the officers not take very effective action to close them? Now what is being done to remove them? The working style of those officers is being questioned, who have been issuing paper orders while sitting in air-conditioned rooms. They are not concerned whether the orders are being followed and action is being taken on the spot or not.
After the campaign, people became alert…. Hearing in NGT on 8th
The issue of commercial activities going on on government land around Sariska was raised. This campaign is going on continuously since 23 May. This case was filed in NGT. On the Rajendra Tiwari case, NGT ordered the administration to transfer 54 thousand hectares of CTH land in the name of Sariska. Along with this, orders were also given not to conduct any commercial activities in CTH and buffer area. The next hearing is on 8 August. Due to pressure from NGT, the government woke up again. Before the hearing, Additional Secretary (ACS) Forest Aparna Arora issued orders not to conduct any commercial activities.
