T'PURAM: Opposition leader V D Satheesan has urged the Union government to take steps to safeguard the interest of people living close to forests and national sanctuaries in the wake of the Supreme Court order to maintain a 1km buffer zone around protected forests, sanctuaries and national parks.
In a letter to Union minister for environment, forest and climate change Bhupender Yadav, Satheesan said the SC declaration that a minimum of 1km land shall be included as eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) may adversely affect the normal life of the common man and agriculturists in Kerala who are settled within the above limit of lands since several decades.
"Kerala is one state which has 30% of its total land area as forest and protected sanctuaries. As you are aware, Kerala is one of the densely populated states in the country. We have hill areas on one side and a seashore on the other. Various restrictions based on CRZ and other environmental regulations left a very narrow stretch of land for development activities in the state," the letter said.
Satheesan asked the minister to take measures to limit the ESZ in Kerala to the forest land and protected areas by exempting agricultural land and dwelling places near and around wildlife sanctuaries and protected areas.
Meanwhile, high range farmers from Mannarkkad, Attapadi, Vadakkancherry, etc., in the district are up in arms against the SC order. On Wednesday, a protest meeting seeking the state government's intervention, organized at Kanhiram in Kanhirapuzha near Mannarkkad, was inaugurated by Palakkad bishop Peter Kochupurackal. The bishop alleged that ESZ will be an undeclared eviction of high-range farmers, which has created anxiety among thousands of such farmers in the district.
The meeting demanded the Centre to withdraw the Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Change's draft notification and also demanded the government not to notify the new Bhavani wildlife sanctuary that will make Attapadi Hills an ESZ.
(With inputs from Palakkad)
