Delhi declares 1km ESZ limit around Asola sanctuary
In a move which implies that the sole wild patch in the concrete jungles of Delhi and Faridabad may not get adequate protection, the Delhi government has recently declared only a 1km limit for the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) around Asola wildlife sanctuary on the Delhi side.
No ESZ with regard to the area around the Asola sanctuary has yet been proposed by Haryana, even despite the Delhi forest department’s repeated correspondence with the Haryana government about the issue.
The Delhi forest department has written to the Haryana government a number of times, urging the authorities to propose an ESZ or to at least hold a meeting with the department officials to discuss the matter.
Noting that the ESZ issue has been pursued with the Haryana government at the bureaucratic level, but there has been no response, A K Shukla – chief wildlife warden – said: “They may differ on the extent of ESZ on the Haryana side but we should at least talk. The zone can protect areas like Mangar from real estate pressures.”
The proposal of the ESZ limit by the Haryana government is crucial because areas to be included in the potential ESZ on the Haryana side involve the densely-forested parts of Mangar and Mangar Bani. These areas not only act as a wildlife corridor with Asola, but also serve as a groundwater recharge zone for Delhi and Faridabad.
Source – The Times of India (Delhi)
Asola wildlife sanctuary, Delhi forest department, Delhi Government, eco-sensitive zone, Haryana government
