Chandigarh: Centre notifies Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary eco-sensitive zone on Haryana side

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Chandigarh, April 6

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has finally issued a draft notification demarcating area from 1 km to 2.035 km around the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary as an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) on the Haryana side in Panchkula district.

Home to endangered species

Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary is home to, at least, seven Schedule I animal species of the Wildlife Act, including leopard, Indian pangolin, sambar, golden jackal, king cobra, python and monitor lizard. The Schedule I species are considered endangered needing immediate protection.

In February, the Haryana Government had sent a proposal to the ministry that area of 1,000 metres around the sanctuary on the Haryana side be delineated as an ESZ.

Extent and boundaries

According to the notification, the ESZ in general extends up to 1,000 m from the boundary of the sanctuary on the Haryana side. It is further extended to 2 km in the reserved forest on the northern side. On the eastern side, the ESZ boundary is mostly 1,000 m, running along the boundary of the reserved forest. However, it is extended on the south-eastern side to make it co-terminus with the boundary of the reserved forest. The total area of the ESZ is 24.60 sq km.

As per the notification, the ESZ is divided into four zones. The extent of Zone I will be 100 m from the boundary of the sanctuary, while Zone II will encompass the area that falls between 100 m and 300 m from the boundary of the protected area. Zone III will comprise the area that falls within 300-700 m from the boundary of the protected area.

The remaining area from 700 m to 1,000 m from the boundary of the protected area shall be designated as Zone IV.

The total area of the proposed ESZ will be 6078.98 acres (2460.07 hectares). The proposed ESZ will include area comprising Sector 1 and part of Sector 2 and 3, including Gymkhana Club under the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), some tubewell chambers, paragliding parks and area under Sector 1 of the Mansa Devi Complex (MDC), area under Chandimandir Cantonment (small arms firing range of military station at Chandimandir, Central Soil & Water Conservation Research Farm and part of area under the Municipal Corporation of Panchkula.

As per the draft notification, of the 10 villages, namely Prempura, Sokhomajri, Damala, Lohgarh, Manakpur Thakardas, Surajpur, Chandimandir Kotla, Darra Kharauni, Rampur and Saketri/Mahadevpur, that fall in the proposed ESZ, two villages of Saketri and Prempura fall within a radius of 700 m from the boundary of the sanctuary.

Prohibited, regulated activities

All activities in the ESZ will be governed by the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and the rules made there. The prohibited activities include commercial mining, stone quarrying and crushing units, setting of new saw mills, setting of industries causing pollution (water, air, soil, noise, etc), use or production or processing of any hazardous substances, commercial use of firewood, discharge of untreated effluents in natural water bodies or land area, commercial water resources, including groundwater harvesting, establishment of new thermal and major hydroelectric project, new wood-based industry and establishment of large-scale commercial livestock and poultry farms by firms, corporate and companies.

Regulated activities include commercial establishment of hotels and resorts, construction activities, erection of electrical and telecommunication towers, felling of trees, widening and strengthening of existing roads and construction of new roads, erection of high-tension transmission lines, eco-friendly cottages for temporary occupation of tourists such as tents, wooden houses, etc for eco-friendly tourism activities, eco-tourism activity etc.

Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary is under the administrative control of the Chandigarh Administration and shares boundary with Punjab and Haryana. The sanctuary is located in Shivalik foothills which are ecologically sensitive and geologically unstable. The total area of the sanctuary is 25.9849 sq km. To protecting, propagating and developing wildlife and its habitat, this area was declared as wildlife sanctuary vide Chandigarh Administration in 1998.

In 2020, the Punjab and Haryana High Court declared Sukhna Lake a living entity and directed the Environment Ministry to declare at least 1 km area from the sanctuary’s boundary in both states as ESZ.