Tiger reserves in Telangana receive raw deal in proposed Eco-Sensitive Zones
HYDERABAD: Amrabad Tiger Reserve(ATR) receives a raw deal in the form of a minuscule proposed Eco-Sensitive Zone(ESZ), that is just about 12 per cent of the size of the tiger reserve. The proposed ESZ of ATR is spread over 315 square kilometers in the range of 0-1 kilometer(km) around the existing buffer zone of tiger reserve, whereas the total area covered by ATR is 2,611.09 sq km. This is as per the draft notification on ESZ of ATR, published by Ministry of Environment and Forests.
One can get an idea of the small size of ESZ proposed for ATR, by comparing it to ESZ of other well known tiger reserves in the country. For example, Satpura tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh covers 1,432.22 sq km of forest area. Its ESZ is spread in the range of 100 meters to 2 km and covers an area of 1,079.43 sq km, which is 75 per cent the size of the tiger reserve. Nagarahole tiger reserve in Karnataka covers 847.71 sq km and its proposed ESZ is spread in the range of 1 to 7.44 km covering area of 568.88 sq km, which is 67 per cent of tiger reserve area.
When contacted, Imran Siddiqui of Hyderabad Tiger Conservation Society(HyTiCoS), said that the proposed ESZ for ATR is surprising. He said, “Amrabad has forests on the western side which can have an extended ESZ than the presently proposed range. There is no logic behind having such small range of ESZ in directions surrounding the tiger reserve where reserved forests are present.”
ESZ for Kawal confusing, ignores corridor area
The draft notification of proposed ESZ for the other tiger reserve of Telangana – Kawal Tiger Reserve, has confusing figures. As per the draft notification, the proposed ESZ of Kawal that spreads between 0.25 and 1km around the tiger reserve and covers the “entire buffer area” of Kawal, area 730 sq km. However, the draft notification also says, “The Buffer area extends over the parts of Adilabad, Nirmal, Jannaram & Bellampally Divisions over an area of 1123.2127 sq kms”. He points out the buffer area of Kawal should have covered more area, as region between Tippeshwar and Tadoba tiger reserves in Maharashtra and Kawal in TS is a known tiger corridor.
Why Eco Sensitive Zones ?
ESZ are demarcated areas outside protected forest areas that act as ‘shock absorbers’, where activities like mining, setting up of thermal power plants, establishing industries, discharge of effluents are prohibited and activities like tourism, felling of trees, setting up of polluting units etc are regulated.
Source : http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/telangana/2018/apr/09/tiger-reserves-in-telangana-receive-raw-deal-in-proposed-eco-sensitive-zones-1798980.html
