Siliguri, 15th July: The state government has decided to reduce the limit of the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) from five kilometres to one kilometre, Forest Minister Manoj Kumar Oraon announced after a high-level meeting in Siliguri.
The announcement was made following a meeting held at the Siliguri State Guest House on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by Darjeeling MP Raju Bista, Tourism Minister Shankar Ghosh, Minister of State for Transport and Finance Anandamay Barman, Dabgram-Fulbari MLA Sikha Chatterjee, and senior officials of the Forest Department.
The meeting mainly focused on maintaining a balance between development in areas adjacent to forests and environmental protection. The decision is considered significant as residents of the hills and plains had been facing difficulties due to the wider ESZ boundary.
Earlier, as per National Green Tribunal (NGT) guidelines, areas within five kilometres around wildlife sanctuaries were considered under the Eco-Sensitive Zone. Due to restrictions in these areas, construction work, road development, and infrastructure projects were reportedly affected.
Forest Minister Manoj Kumar Oraon said that the limit would be reduced from five kilometres to one kilometre. He added that a draft notification would be released soon, following which the final decision would be implemented.
The minister also stated that the Forest Department would adopt a ‘zero tolerance’ policy against corruption at all levels, including recruitment processes.