11वीं विशेषज्ञ समिति की बैठक

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me MINUTES OF ELEVENTH MEETING OF THE EXPERT COMMITTEE FOR @ DECLARATION OF ECO-SENSITIVE ZONES HELD ON 28"MAY,[2015]

Z A meeting of the Expert Committee for declaration of Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) was held on 28" May, 2015 under the chairmanship of Shri Hem Kumar Pande, Additional Secretary. The proposals for finalization of ESZs for Dadra & Nagar Haveli Wildlife Sanctuary and Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary, Bihar were taken up for discussion. The list of participants is annexed.

2. At the outset, the Chairman welcomed the members of the Expert Committee and representatives of Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Government of Bihar. Chairman invited the representative of Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli followed by representative of Government of Bihar to make presentation on their proposals.

Item No. 2. (1) Finalization of the draft notification for declaring Eco-sensitive Zones around Dadra & Nagar Haveli Wildlife Sanctuary, Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli

2.1.1 The Committee was informed that the draft notification declaring Ecosensitive Zone around Dadra and Nagar Haveli Wildlife Sanctuary was published in the Gazette of India vide S.O. No. 2927 (E) dated 17.11.2014 seeking objections/suggestions from stakeholders on the proposals contained in the draft : notification. A total of 11 comments were received from stakeholders on the draft notification by post and through email. These objections/suggestions were sent to the UT Administration for their views/response on the same. 2.1.2 The major objections and suggestions received from the stakeholders relate to the following: (i) the notification. process of the Dadra and Nagar Haveli Wildlife Sanctuary, (ii) increasing/decreasing the extent of Eco-sensitive zone around the Wildlife Sanctuary, (iii) Gas pipeline projects/transmission lines to be considered under regulated category, (iv) there is an ongoing case in WP No. 575/2007 filed against Chief Town Planner, UT Administration, in the Supreme Court where inter alia the issue of buffer zone had been raised by the petitioner, hence, the matter is subjudice and notification-should not be-brought out, (v) the-basis- of delineation-of= 2<: sos." 20 Eco-sensitive zone, (vi) livelihood options of local people should not be affected and

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(vii) existing industries should be allowed for expansion in the Eco-sensitive Zone. Q The UT administration had provided the point wise responses to the © . objections/suggestions which were circulated as part of Agenda notes.

2.1.3 Shri Debendra Dalei, Chief Wildlife Warden, Dadra and Nagra Haveli gave a detailed presentation on the Eco-sensitive Zone around Dadra and Nagar Haveli Sanctuary, the activities proposed to prohibited/regulated in the ESZ, the monitoring Committee of the ESZ and the point-wise responses of the UT Administration on the objections/suggestions received on the draft notification.

2.1.4. It was informed to the Committee that the extent of Eco-sensitive Zone around Dadra and Nagar Haveli Sanctuary was finalized as per the guidelines issued by MoEF&CC and a Local level Committee was constituted for finalization of the extent as also interact with the local people on the subject. The CWLW also informed the Committee that Dadra and Nagar Haveli Sanctuary was declared as per the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act.

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2.1.5 With reference to the Case pending in the Supreme Court (WP No. 575/2007), the Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF), Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, informed the Committee that the said case has been disposed on 26" October 2007. It was enquired by the Committee whether there was any restraining order with respect to the declaration of ESZ around Dadra and Nagar Haveli Wildlife Sanctuary. The CCF informed the Committee that there was no restraining order from the Hon’ble Court with respect to declaration of Eco-sensitive Zone around Dadra and Nagar Haveli Wildlife Sanctuary. He also informed the Committee that in the affidavit filed by the Chief Town Planner, UT Administration in WP No. 575/2007, it has been stated that the extent of ESZ around Dadra and Nagar Haveli Wildlife Sanctuary is 100 m, which is the extent stated in the draft notification. 2.1.6 The Committee deliberated on the proposal of the inclusion of gas pipelines and transmission lines under regulated category. It was informed that erection of transmission lines is already kept under regulated category in the draft notification. As gas is a clean fuel in comparison to other fossii fuels, it wasfeltby theCommittee-~ -c-"-| that it would be advisable to keep laying of gas pipelines under regulated category |

so as to allow the flexibility to give any site specific stipulations while undertaking the : e) activity. The expansion of polluting industries is not allowed in the Eco-sensitive Zone as per established practice and the same needs to be continued. It was noted that the draft notification provides for activities which can give adequate livelihood options to the local people.

2.1.7 The Committee also noted that as Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu cover a small area as compared to other big states in the Country it would be apt to have a UT Level Eco-sensitive Zone Monitoring Committee rather than a Protected Area specific Committee to provide better integration of various line departments. The Committee also suggested that the map provided in the draft notification should also have a horizontal scale so that the scale at which the map has been prepared is clear. It was also suggested that the projection system adopted while recording the geographical coordinates of prominent points on the boundary of the Eco-sensitive Zone may also be stated.

2.1.8 The Committee noted that the draft notification published in the gazette was in old format and the final notification declaring Eco-sensitive Zone around Dadra and Nagar Haveli Wildlife Sanctuary may be done in the new format being adopted by the Ministry.

2.1.9 The Committee after detailed deliberations recommended the finalization of the draft notification declaring Eco-sensitive Zone around Dadra and Nagar Haveli Wildlife Sanctuary with above amendments.

Item No. 2. (2) Finalization of the draft notification for declaring Eco-sensitive Zones around Paranhita Wildlife Sanctuary, Telangana

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2.2.1 The Committee was informed that as the proposal for declaration of Ecosensitive Zone around Paranhita Wildlife Sanctuary was sent by the erstwhile State Government of United Andhra Pradesh, the new State Government of Telangana has requested for some time to examine the proposals contained in the draft notification. As the State Government is the principal Stakeholder, its os s-= -=--eomments/viewson the proposals--contained in the draft-notification ~ are: -of----<""=-~~ > ~ importance. Also, the Ministry has 545 days for finalization of draft notification as per

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Environment (Protection) Rule, 1986 as amended from time to time. Accordingly, the agenda item is deferred.

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Item No. 2. (3) Finalization of the draft notification for declaring Eco-sensitive Zone around Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary, Bihar

2.3.1 Shri Bharat Jyoti, Director, Ecology, Govt. of Bihar made a brief presentation on the proposal for declaration of Eco-Sensitive Zone around Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary. He informed that no comments on the proposed ESZ have been received from any stakeholder. He highlighted the following salient features:-

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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|>|Area|of Wildlife|Sanctuary|1505|sq.|km.|(88|%|of forest|area);|
|>|Geology,|Physiography|and|°|Easternmost|fringe|of Vindhyan|highlands;|
|interface|setting|:|;|
|°|Major|sandstone|formation|and|limestone|
|deposits|in|southern|escarpment|zone;|
|°|Major|chunk|consist|of|plateau|with|
|escarpments|and|narrow|strips|of foothills|and|
|slopes|merging|with|intensely|cropped|area;|
|.|Plateau|portion|— 80%|139|enclave|villages|in|
|Revenue|lands|
|>|Flora|and|Fauna:|e|Northern|tropical|dry|deciduous,|dry|Sal|&|open|
|and|scrub|forests;|
|e|Leopard,|hyena,|sloth|bear,|cheetal,|sambhar,|
|:|black|buck,|chinkara,|chausinga;|
|>|Anthropological|significance|||*|Tribal populations—|Agharia,|Chero|and|others;|
|>»|Archeological|significance:|e|Rohtas|fort|ramparts — southern|escarpment;|
|>|Main|river|in|PA:|Durgavati|¢|Reservoir|&|Dam|—|area|denotified|from|sanctuary|
|in|the|year|2003|—|Now|in|the|fringe|of|the|
|sanctuary|and|included|in|ESZ|
|>|Linear|infrastructure|¢|NH|2|touches|sanctuary|over|short|distance|in|the|
|a|~~|“||“north-easttip; NH|2C|proposed|on|the|southern|

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					side. Grand Chord	rail track is farther	rail track is farther	rail track is farther	from	PA
					(more than 2 km);
>	Non-forestry	land	use	¢	Past:<br>Limestone,	Pyrites	mining	in	southern
					escarpment zone;
				e	Prospective:<br>40	sq<br>km	area	proposed		for
					exclusionforlimestonemining—underprocess

(2) 250 meters over a stretch of 5 km to exclude NH-2 and the areas north of the NH-2

2.3.2 The extent of ESZ proposed is as follows:

Total area of ESZ surrounding the PA: 485.55 sq km Non-forest land: 380.42 sq km . Forest land: 105.12 sq km

No. of villages : 246 villages (100 in Rohtas district and 146 in Kaimur district)

2.3.3 The map of Kaimur WLS alongwith proposed ESZ was provided by the Officials of Govt. of Bihar during the meeting. They also informed that they will provide survey/khasra no. in the tabular form to the Ministry. 2.3.4 Representative of Govt. of Bihar informed that, the extent of ESZ may be more than 2 kilometers at certain locations as some villages are falling beyond the 2 km distance. It was assured that they will get the farthest distance verified and will communicate to the Ministry at earliest.

2.3.5 The Committee opined that instead of the State Level Eco-Sensitive Zone Monitoring Committee, as contained in the draft notification, a site specific Monitoring Committee may be set-up. Therefore, it was decided that the Monitoring Committee may be headed by the Divisional Commissioner (Revenue), Patna and the Divisional Forest Officer, Kaimur will be the Member Secretary of the Committee. The composition of the Monitoring Committee will, therefore, be:-

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GOVT. OF BIHAR

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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|i)|Divisional|Commissioner (Revenue),|Patna|-|Chairman|
|ii)|Representative|of|Department|of Mines|and|Geology,|
|Government|of|Bihar|-|Member|
|iii)|Regional|Officer,|Bihar|State|Pollution|Control|Board|-|Member|
|iv)|An|expert|in|the|area|of ecology|and|environment|-|Member|
|tobe|nominated|by|the|Government|of|Bihar|
|for a|period|of one|year.|
|v)|One|representatives|of Non-governmental|Organization|-|Member|
|(working|in|the|field|of environment|including|heritage|
|conservation)|to|be|nominated|by the|Government|of|Bihar for|
|a|period|of one|year.|
|vi)|||Representative|of|District|Soil|Conservation|Officer, Rohtas/Kaimur- Member|
|vii)|| Representative|of|Districts|Rohtas/Kaimur Agriculural|Deptt.|-|Member|
|viii)|| Representative|of|Districts|Rohtas/Kaimur|Urban|Development-|||Member|
|and|Housing|Deptt.,|Govt.|of|Bihar|
|ix)|District|Collector|of|Kaimur/Rohtas|-|Member|
|x)|Divisional|Forest|Officer,|Rohtas|-|Member|
|xi)|Divisional|Forest|Officer,|Kaimur|-|||Member Secretary|

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2.3.6 It was also decided that the notification be reformatted as per the new format and the Zonal Master Plan shall be approved by the Competent Authority in the Bihar State Government instead of the MoEF&CC. Necessary amendment, in this regard, therefore, may be affected in para 2 & 3 of the draft notification titled Zonal Master Plan for the Eco-Sensitive Zone and measures to be taken by the State Govt.

2.3.7 After detailed discussion, the Expert Committee recommended for finalisation of the Draft Notification for Declaration of Eco-Sensitive Zone around the Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary in Bihar with the above amendments.

The meeting ended with vote of thanks to the Chair.

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List of Participants

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Members of Expert Committee

• ts Shri Hem K. Pande, Additional Secretary, MoEF&CC; Chairman 2. Dr. G.V.Subramanyam, Adviser, MoEF&CC; 3. Shri S.P.Vashishth, DIG, Wildlife Division, MoEF&CC-representing IG(WL); 4, Dr. S.P. S. Kushwaha, Dean (Academies) & Group Director, ERSSG, IIRs; 5. Shri A K Sinha, Sr. Scientist, CPCB, Delhi; 6. Dr. S S Dash, Scientist D, BSI, Kolkata; rg Shri Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, Assistant Director, Forest Survey of India, Dehradun;

• 8. Dr. S.A. Hussain, Scientist G, WIl Dehradun; 9. Shri Lalit Kapur, Director, MoEF&CC-Member Secretary;

Officials of State Government of Bihar and Daman & Diu

10. Shri Bharat Jyoti, Director, Ecology & Environment, Department of Environment and Forests, Bihar;

11. Shri Kundan Kumar, D.F.O. Kamur Forest Division, Bihar; — -

12. Dr. S. Kumaraswamy, IFS, Divisional Forest Officer, Rohtas Forest, Division, Sasaram, Bihar;

13. Shri O.V.R. Reddy, IFS, CCF, DD & DNH; 14. | Shri Debendra Dalai, CF/CWL, DD & DNH;

14. Shri Dilipsingh , DYCF(WL), DD&DNH;

MoEF&CC

16. | Shri Pankaj Verma, Scientist ‘D’, MoEF&CC; 17. Dr. Amit Love, Scientist ’D’, MOEF&CC; 18. | Shri Arvind Kumar, Technical Officer, MOEF&CC.

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