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