Why is Kerala protesting Supreme Court’s ESZ notification
- Kerala urged Central government to exclude State’s human habitations, farmlands and public institutions from the purview Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZ)
- Background:
- Recently SC mandated an ESZ of at least one km from the boundary of every protected forest, including national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
Reasons for Kerala’s Worry:
- Protected Zones:
- 30% of Kerala is forested land
- Western Ghats occupies 48% of the State.
- Network of Lakes, Canals and Wetlands:
- Governed by environmental conservation and protection legislations.
- High Demographic Pressure on Land:
- Population density: 900 persons per square km.
Deviation from Previous practice:
- In its previous draft ESZ notification State Government excluded
- High population density areas,
- Government and quasi-government institutions
- No human habitations in between, thus marking ESZ was peaceful affair.
- SC order has put ten protected areas under restrictions which were previously marked as zero ESZ.
- Resulted in violent reactions as it alters the State's socio-political, economic and ecological narratives.
- State government has approached Central Empowered Committee to persuade the forum of importance of maintaining zero ESZ in human habitation areas.
Prelims take away
- Economic sensitive zone
- Gadgil report