Illegal resorts around Bandipur to go

State govt has decided to declare a 10-km radius around the park as an Eco-Sensitive Zone; only farming to be allowed near it

Niranjan.Kaggere @timesgroup.com 

    Life around the Bandipur National Park is set to change. Following months of dilly-dallying, the state government has finally decided to declare a 10-km radius around the park an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ). While this decision will put those engaged in running illegal spas, resorts, hotels and homestays out of business, it will be a boost for farmers in the region as the land around the tiger reserve can now only be used for agricultural purposes. 
    The move follows a recent surge in illegal commercial activity in the area. Several MLAs, MLCs and local politicians across parties had set up illegal resorts, spas and stone quarries in the area. But these commercial ventures would now have to shut shop and the buildings would be demolished. 
    Sources say the forest department has already drawn up a list of illegal buildings to be razed and has submitted it to the tahsildar and the deputy commissioners. The tahsildars have issued notices to these businesses. In some cases the mandatory three notices — a formality before buildings are razed — have already been issued. 
    Deepak, the owner of a homestay in HD Kote, said, “We have been running a homestay and paying regular taxes to the local village panchayat. When we began a homestay under the tourism promotional programme of the government, there was no condition that we should obtain permission from the forest department. Now we have been asked to use the land only for agricultural purposes.” 
    However, Sanjay Gubbi, member of the State Wildlife Board, said “The ESZ notification will not have any impact on resorts that are already in business. About five resorts have obtained permission from the forest department and they will continue to operate. But no new licences will be issued. If a person wants to buy land for agricultural purposes he or she may do so. But the land cannot be used or rented out for commercial ventures.” 
    The ESZ would cover 123 villages in four taluks of two districts — Mysore and Chamarajanagar. Once the area is formally declared an ESZ — which sources say would be done by the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) within a few days — individuals, private entities and even the government cannot acquire land for setting up industry or townships within the 10-km distance from the park. The park itself is already protected under the Wildlife Act of 1972. 
    The move to declare the area an ESZ was initially opposed by several political leaders. The MoEF issued a preliminary notification on the issue in November last year, but it created a furore in state political circles. Fearing that it would jeopardise their business interests, several political leaders had reportedly instigated farmers in the area to oppose the government’s move. 
    Forest department officials then convened a meeting of farmers, members of the public and political leaders, and, following their suggestions, the draft notification was modified. As a result, the forest department decided to relax the rules for land conversion and exempted houses, buildings and cow sheds of the locals. 
    The forest department then wrote to the MoEF on March 16 requesting it to issue a final notification declaring an ESZ around Bandipur. The letter, a copy of which is with BANGALORE MIRROR, states that several suggestions and objections raised by the farmers, MLAs, MLCs and MPs have been included in the revised draft and “the government requests the Centre to issue final notification containing all these suggestions”. 
    “The ESZ tag would give us more power to monitor the area and implement forest programmes in a better way,” a senior officer of the forest department said. “It would put an end to cutting of trees, degradation of forest valley and extraction of non-timber forest produce apart from several other activities which harm the environment.”

The ESZ notification will not have any impact on existing resorts, but no new licences will be given 
SANJAY GUBBI, MEMBER, STATE WILDLIFE BOARD

Many politicians have established illegal resorts, spas and stone quarries around the reserve. The will now be shut down