In a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday, the Congress MP from Wayanad said the mapping has created concern among the public, especially those living on the fringes of forest areas
Congress leader and MP Rahul Gandhi has urged the state government to address the concerns of the public in the state on the buffer zone mapping done by the Kerala State Remote Sensing and Environment Center (KSREC).
In a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday, Mr Gandhi said the mapping has raised concerns among the public, especially those living on the fringes of forest areas like Wayanad.
The expert committee on Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZ) constituted by the state government has invited suggestions and inputs from the public on its preliminary report. Mr Gandhi said the KSREC maps provide details of various structures in the ESZ and survey number-wise details of the land falling within the ESZ.
Mr Gandhi said he has received several representations from residents raising objections regarding the boundaries demarcating the ESZ. He said that residents whose land falls either fully or partially within the ESZ are deeply troubled by its potential impact on their lives and livelihoods.
The Congress MP from Wayanad recalled that he had written a letter to the Chief Minister to express his concern regarding restrictions on activities in densely populated areas designated as ESZ in Wayanad in the light of the Supreme Court’s judgment on ESZ on June 3, 2022. The letter was written.
Mr Gandhi said he had also highlighted that the SC judgment’s provision to reduce the minimum width of the ESZ by the state government is in ‘overwhelming public interest’.
Mr Gandhi urged the expert committee to consider all concerns raised by local communities and issue a public clarification about its mandate.
He also asked the panel to consider extending the deadline for receiving public comments on the preliminary report.