The State government has decided to supplement the satellite survey undertaken to map Eco Sensitive Zones (ESZs) and collect information on buildings, establishments, other constructions and land use in buffer zones with a ground survey.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here on Monday.
The information gathered scientifically using satellite data will be verified through a ground-truthing exercise while compiling the inventory of land use patterns, industries operating around protected areas, agricultural land and others. An expert committee will be constituted to undertake the study that will later be submitted in the Supreme Court. The panel has been mandated with submitting an interim report within a month and a final report in three months.
Moreover, the Chief Secretary has been tasked with compiling the separate reports that have been furnished by the Local Self-Government, Revenue, Agriculture and Forest Departments. The expert committee will also examine the data obtained through department-level studies and the satellite survey.
As many as 115 villages come within buffer zones in the State. The mapping that was conducted by the Kerala State Remote Sensing and Environment Centre using satellite images on the basis of a Supreme Court direction to demarcate ESZ has been completed, according to the Chief Minister’s Office.
The official release added the State has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court against the order to fix a 1-km ESZ around wildlife sanctuaries and national parks. The government will seek the case be heard in open court.
Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran, Law and Industries Minister P. Rajeev, Revenue Minister K. Rajan, Agriculture Minister P. Prasad and the secretaries of various departments took part in the meeting.
Sparring in House
Earlier, the government and the Opposition sparred in the Assembly over the Cabinet decision on ESZ on 2019. Both the Forest and Law Ministers clarified the recent Cabinet decision that excluded residential and agricultural areas, government, semi-government and public institutions from the ESZ will prevail over the earlier one.
However, Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan said the failure to nullify the 2019 order could lead to adverse consequences for the State at the apex court. Since the particular order remained in force, the Supreme Court and the Central Empowered Committee might not consider the government’s revised notifications, he claimed.
