Restore ecozone around Bannerghatta: SC panel report

Restore ecozone around Bannerghatta: SC panel report

Why in news :

• The Central Empowered Committee has recommended to restore a 2016 draft notification and cancel a 2020 notification which warrants reconsideration and shall be withdrawn by MoEFCC

Recommendations of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC)

• Mandate: The committee has recommended the immediate withdrawal of the MoEFCC’s March 11, 2020 notification and the full restoration of the June 15, 2016 draft notification regarding the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around Bannerghatta National Park (BNP).
• Ecological Rationale: The recommendation aims to protect scientifically identified elephant corridors and ecologically important patches that were excluded in the 2020 notification. It argues that the adoption of a generic “one-km ESZ norm” ignores site-specific ecological requirements.
• The report highlights that the ESZ was drastically reduced without scientific justification from 96 sq. km (in the 2016 draft) to 168.84 sq. km (in the 2020 final notification).
• Procedural Violation: The CEC noted that the decision to reduce the ESZ was made by a Cabinet Sub-Committee in 2017, which violates Para 6.2 of the 2011 Guidelines. These guidelines require a specialized committee (Chief Wildlife Warden, Ecologist, Local Govt, and Revenue Officer) to assess ESZ extents.
• Timeline: The CEC has stipulated that the entire exercise to re-notify the ESZ to its original extent must be completed within the next six months.