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Eco-sensitive zone may be reduced in Hyderabad's Deer Park

The move for the 5-km eco zone would mean that GO 111 abolition would serve no purpose.

Hyderabad: The state government would press for a smaller eco-sensitive zone around the National Deer Park in Chilkur on city outskirts.

The Union environment ministry in February 2017 issued a draft notification notifying a 5-km radius for the eco-sensitive zone. The final notification was expected soon.

The government received representations from locals, builders and industrialists expressing concern over development taking a hit in areas falling in the buffer zone.

They pointed out that the city outskirts was already affected by GO 111, which barred construction activity in 84 villages in the 10-km radius of Osmansagar and Himayatsagar lakes. The 5-km eco-sensitive zone would deal a double blow, they said.

The move came when the state government had constituted a committee of senior officials to examine the abolition of GO 111, which, they said, was obstructing development of several villages abetting Hyderabad. The move for the 5-km eco zone would mean that GO 111 abolition would serve no purpose.

They wanted the zone radius to be cut down to 1 km or even up to 500 m. The State Government decided to pursue the case with Centre before the final notification was released.

A meeting convened by environment and forest minister Jogu Ramanna with officials decided to take up the issue with the Centre. As many as 15 villages would fall in the 5-km radius of the National Deer Park. Of these, six were in Moinabad mandal and the rest in Rajendranagar mandal.

Villages in Moinabad include Chilkur, Himayat-nagar, Bandlaguda, Nakkalapalle, Ibrahimpur and Aziznagar.

Those in Rajendranagar were Narsingi, Manchirevula, Kokapet, Peeramcheruvu, Himayat-sagar, Hydarshakote, Neknampur, Bairamulguda and Gandhamguda.

Of the 15 villages in 5-km radius of the park, six were already covered by GO 111. The remaining villages were witnessing quick development with several realty projects, raising the land value.

Locals feared there would be no takers for their lands and property prices would crash if the 5-km radius norm came into force.

The draft notification of the Deer Park already reduced buffer zone radius towards Manchirevula to 3 km from 5 km to exempt the financial district in Cyberabad.

The state government wanted further reduction of radius to 1 km around the park to take up various development projects in villages abetting Hyderabad to meet the city's future expansion.

Panel can allow change

The government would press for a smaller eco-sensitive zone around the National Deer Park in Chilkur on city outskirts. As per ESZ rules, “Change of land use of forests, horticulture areas, agricultural areas, parks and open spaces earmarked for recreational purposes into areas for commercial or industrial related development activities shall not be permitted.”

Conversion of agricultural lands within the ESZ might be permitted on the recommendation of the monitoring committee comprising the collector and senior officials, and with prior approval of the state government, only to meet residential needs arising out of the natural growth of population.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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