High Court asks Centre State to clarify on eco-sensitive zone around MTR

September 5, 2021
Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
Category: DPN Topics

High Court asks Centre State to clarify on eco-sensitive zone around MTR

Context: The Madras High Court has decided to delve deep into the ramifications of a gazette notification issued by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) on December 13, 2019 declaring an area of 438.904 sq.km,

around the boundary of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR), as Mudumalai Tiger Reserve Eco-sensitive Zone.

Background:

Considering the rich diversity of flora and fauna in MTR and the existence of rare, endangered, threatened and endemic species, the MoEF had decided to declare 438.904 sq.km. (Consisting of 25.657 sq.km in Gudalur forest division, 409.825 sq.km. in Nilgiris North forest division and 3.422 sq.km. in core area) around the reserve as Eco sensitive zone

Mudumalai Tiger Reserve comprising the entire area of Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park lies between Latitude 11.50000 and 11.65000 N Longitude 76.45000 and 76.71670 E in the Nilgiris District, of Tamil Nadu and extends over an area of 321.00 square kilometers. This is one of the protected areas brought under Project Tiger during 2007. Presently, the entire area (321.00 sq km) of Tiger Reserve has been declared as Core/Critical Tiger Habitat notified vide No:145, Environment & Forest (FR-5) Department, dated: 28.12.2007 as per section 38-V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The reserve has 321.00 square kilometres as Core or Critical tiger habitat 367.586 square kilometres as Buffer area. The total area of reserve along with the buffer area is 688.586 square kilometres.

Do you know?

Mudumalai National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, also a declared tiger reserve, lies in the northwestern side of the Nilgiri Hills in Nilgiri District, about 150 kilometres (93 mi) north-west of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, India.
It shares boundaries with the states of Karnataka and Kerala.
It is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. It is one of the premiere tiger reserves in India alongside Nagarhole National Park, Bandipur National Park and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.
The protected area is home to several endangered and vulnerable species including Indian elephant, Bengal tiger, gaur and Indian leopard. There are at least 266 species of birds in the sanctuary, including critically endangered Indian white-rumped vulture and long-billed vulture.
The Western Ghats Nilgiri Sub-Cluster of 6,000 square kilometres (2,300 sq mi), including all of Mudumalai National Park, is under consideration by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for selection as a World Heritage Site