GS PAPER II: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Context: The ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified 48.32 sq km around the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary (TCFS) as an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ).

• The ESZ is meant to act as a buffer for protected areas and reduces developmental pressures around a wildlife sanctuary or national park.

More about news:

• About 1,400 hectare of mangrove forests towards Navi Mumbai side of the ESZ were not included in the original ESZ because they had already been declared as reserve forests under the Indian Forest Act and are covered under Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ).
• Highly polluting industries and mining activities among others are prohibited, certain activities, which will be regulated, are listed in the final notification.
• They include construction of hotels and resorts as well promotion of eco-tourism – albeit not within 1 km of the boundary of the protected area or up to the extent of ESZ, whichever is nearer.
• Agro-forestry, use of eco-friendly transport, cottage industries and organic farming will also be promoted.

Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary (TCFS)

• The TCFS consists of 896 hectares of mangrove forests and 794 hectares of waterbodies.
• It is on the western bank of the creek, between the Airoli and the Vashi bridges connecting Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.
• It came into being in August 2015 and is Maharashtra’s second marine sanctuary, after Malvan.
• The TCFS has been attracting flamingos in large numbers since 1994.
• In all, 200 species have been reported, even globally threatened species such as the greater spotted eagle and others such as osprey.
• Other birds found here are the Pied avocet, western reef heron, black-headed ibis, common redshank, marsh sandpiper, common greenshank, curlew sandpiper, brown-headed gull, whiskered, gull-billed, Caspian and little terns.

What does Eco-Sensitive Zone mean and what is its purpose?

• Eco-Sensitive Zone means the fragile area that exists within 10 kilometres of protected areas like National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
• The purpose of marking an Eco-Sensitive Zone is to create a kind of shock-absorber around the protected areas.

Who declares the Eco-Sensitive Zone around protected areas?

• The Eco-Sensitive Zone around protected areas are declared by the Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India.

What are the activities prohibited around ESZ?

• Commercial mining, stone quarrying, crushing units, setting up industries that cause pollution, establishment of hydro-electric projects, commercial use of firewood, solid waste disposal or wastewater disposal and many other activities are prohibited or banned around ESZ.

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/centre-notifies-48-32-sq-km-around-tcfs-as-eco-sensitive-zone-7305107/

Download PDF