Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (HB/SP)
Udupi, Aug 19: The union department of forests and environment, through an order passed under section 3 of The Environment (Protection) Act 1986 on July 2, has designated borders of the eco-sensitive area of Kudremukh National Park.
Kudremukh National Park happens to be a natural world heritage site by the UNESCO. It is located in the heart of the Western Ghats, and is habitat to a number of rare animals and those which are on the verge of extinction. It is the abode to lion-tailed macaque, Malabar dancing frogs, many local orchids and other vegetation specific to this area. It also is the place where rivers like Tunga, Bhadra and Netravati originate and is well-known for its shola pasture lands. Because of the role being performed by the National Park in water conservation, it is also known as a natural overhead water tank.
The area has been designated as an eco-sensitive area in order to avoid the protected area from facing serious problems. It functions as an area that functions as a transformation zone for reducing human-animal friction and to save environmentally weak areas from careless industrialization.
The said order does not change ownership of land, and revenue and private lands will remain as it is. People currently living inside will not be shifted. They are allowed to live there and continue with their limited activities. There will not be a ban on power lines, drinking water pipelines, roads, bridges, agriculture, horticultural activities etc. Eco-sensitive zones help in protecting water sources and protect the areas from induced landslides and environment pollution. Activities like commercial mining, stone quarrying, new sawmills, polluting industries etc are banned.
The area is maintained by a committee with experts from revenue, forest, environment pollution control board, urban development department, expert environment scientists, NGOs and MLAs representing Mudigere, Karkala, Beltangady and Sringeri constituencies. The committee, in consultation with the general public, will prepare a zonal master plan and maintain it.
Kudremukh wildlife division deputy conservator, Karkala, in a release, said that the borderline of the eco-sensitive area around the National Park has been changed as one km from the national park's border instead of 10 km proposed in the draft plan earlier.