SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Government has approved the draft proposal for declaration of areas around National parks and wildlife sanctuaries and conservation reserves as ‘Eco-Sensitive Zones’.
An official spokesman said here this afternoon that the State Level Committee headed by Chief Secretary Mohammad Iqbal Khandey today finalised and approved the draft proposal prepared by the State Wild Life Department for declaration of areas around National Parks, Wild life Sanctuaries and Conservation Reserves situated in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh as Eco-Sensitive Zones.
The proposal envisages creation of Eco-Sensitive Zones to act as buffer or shock absorber for the protected area against any non-forest activity by way of regulating, managing and prohibiting such activities around ecologically fragile areas.
The width of the Eco-Sensitive Zone differs from Protected Area to Protected Area and is meant to protect precious areas from any negative impact and to refine the environment around these areas.
The proposal will be forwarded and submitted to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests for further processing and notification under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 in order to conserve the State’s forests, environment and wildlife.
