Protecting nature: Centre notifies buffer zone for Delhi part of Asola Bhatti sanctuary
The ministry of environment and forests has brought out a notification marking a one-kilometer buffer zone around the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary. This only applies to the parts of sanctuary that fall within Delhi.
In Short
- Centre notification sets up buffer zone around Asola Bhatti sanctuary.
- Notification only applies for part of sanctuary within Delhi.
- Notification says no new hotels and resorts will be built in the ESZ area.
The fauna-rich Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary finally has an ESZ (Eco-sensitive Zone) tag on the Delhi side. The ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has come out with a notification marking one km around the sanctuary, on the NCT of Delhi, as its legal buffer zone.
It is silent on the ESZ on Haryana side as, reportedly, the state government's proposal for the same was found "incomplete". MoEF has asked for a revised document to be submitted by October 1.
As per the notification, the ESZ in the national Capital shall be 15.55 sqkm in all. It will include villages Asola, Sahurpur, Satbari, Maidan Garhi, Tughlaqabad, Deoli and Bhatti.
MoEF has also asked the Delhi government to "prepare a zonal master plan for the ESZ area within two years of integrating ecological and environmental considerations into the plan".
This will be in consultation with the environment, forest, urban development, tourism, revenue, agriculture, pollution and irrigation departments.
The notification says that "the zonal master plan shall not impose any restriction on the approved existing land use, infrastructure and activities, unless so specified... (but they shall be improved) to be more efficient and eco-friendly".
The Asola Bhatti Sanctuary, on the southernmost tip of the city, is home to the last remnants of the Delhi Ridge hill range. It shelters 17 species of mammals, around 201 species of resident and migratory birds, 12 species of reptiles, five species of amphibians and 63 species of butterflies.
Important species found in the protected area are nilgai, jungle cat, small Indian civet, mongoose, jackal, porcupine, five striped palm squirrel, cheetal. Around 83 species of trees typical of semi-arid forest habitat and 95 species of herbs are also found here.
Environmental lawyer, Sanjeev Ailawadi, said, "It is yet to be understood what kind of environmental protection the authorities will be able to provide in the 1 km ESZ as it is full of jhuggis and unauthorised colonies. The predicament on the Haryana side is worse as townships begin just where the high boundary wall of the sanctuary on the Haryana border ends."
"However," he commented, "It is still better than not having any defined ESZ as in the Goa Foundation judgement of 2004, the Supreme Court had said in a situation where a state/UT has not submitted any proposal for an ESZ, a 10 km. buffer zone shall apply. In the case of Delhi, even Connaught Place would have been within such an ESZ."
The notification asks for the ZMP to provide for restoration of denuded areas, existing water bodies and catchment areas. It also asks for demarcation of existing worshipping places, village and urban settlements, types of forests, agricultural areas, orchards, lakes and parks.
It says no new hotels and resorts will be built in the ESZ area.