Centre to frame guidelines for infra projects around wetlands

In a first, the Centre is set to frame guidelines for infrastructural development around wetlands to curb encroachments and prevent consequent flooding of urban areas.

The wildlife panel under the Union Environment Ministry recently turned down two housing projects at Gurugram’s Sultanpur National Park and Kerala’s Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary.

At a recent meeting of the Standing Committee on National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, who is also the chairman of the committee, said that the panel could take up decisions on projects around wetlands only after the formulation of guidelines.

“Wetlands constitute 4.7 percent of India’s land area, and more than two-thirds of these are outside forest areas. The encroachment upon wetlands will disturb the ecosystem in various parts of the country, such as Chennai, Guwahati, Udaipur (behind Fateh Sagar Lake), and Ajmer (around Ana Sagar Lake),” Yadav said.

In the meeting, it was highlighted that unregulated construction and encroachment on these ecologically sensitive areas had already caused serious problems like urban flooding, and severely impacted the local ecosystems.

If wetlands are destroyed any further, it would lead to irreversible ecological damage and aggravate the risk of urban floods, as seen in several major cities.

The Kerala State Housing Board had proposed a housing project over an area of 1.2809 hectares in the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of the Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary. After discussions, the panel decided that it should be taken up after the ministry develops guidelines regarding infrastructure development around wetlands.

The Union Minister has also issued directions to revise guidelines for the notification of ESZs around national parks and sanctuaries with respect to prohibited, regulated and promoted activities. It was felt that ESZs should be notified after taking the region’s topography into consideration, so that local communities were not impeded.

“The chairman directed that immediate action should be taken for preparation of draft guidelines regarding infrastructure development around wetlands, revision of guidelines for notification of ESZs with respect to prohibited, regulated and promoted activities,” stated the minutes of the NBWL’s meeting.

India