Hyderabad: The Telangana state government has sought the Centre’s approval to reduce the distance to notify eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) around national parks and wild life sanctuaries on the ground that existing norms of having 5 to 20-km radius as ESZ was obstructing development projects.
The government has sent fresh proposals on KBR Park, Jubilee Hills urging the Centre to treat only pathway (100 metre radius) as ESZ. The proposal assumed significance in the backdrop of government deciding to build a multilevel flyover around the park which is facing environmental issues.
Activities within the ESZ like felling of trees, widening of roads etc are regulated and need permission of appropriate authorities and proper Environment Impact Assessment.
The state has nine wild life sanctuaries and three national parks. Three parks are located in and around Hyderabad. With this, the government brought to the Centre's notice that it was not possible to set up ESZs in 5-km radius in city as it needs to create infrastructure facilities like roads and flyovers.
The government urged the Centre to declare only 1-km radius as ESZ for Harina Vanasthani national park, Vanastha-lipuram and Mrugavani nationl park, Chilkur.
It also sought to fix 1-km to 1.5 km radius as ESZ for Manjira Wildlife Sanctuary (Crocodile sanctuary) in Medak. For Pocharam wildlife sanctuary in Medak, it sought to fix 5-km to 10-km as ESZ.
Minister for forests and environment Jogu Ramanna said, “The proposals were worked out after a thorough study on the practical difficulties in implementing the norms.”
