Revised draft proposal of Pong wetland eco-sensitive zone to be finalised soon

Rajiv Mahajan

Nurpur, April 5

Following public outcry, the revision of the draft proposal of the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of the Pong wetland in lower Kangra district, a revised draft of the ESZ is being prepared by the state Forest Department with consultation of the Revenue and Forest departments’ personnel and local stakeholders.

Promoting cottage industry

The ESZ will promote organic farming, eco-tourism, agroforestry, rain-water harvesting and cottage industry in the area. Reginald Royston, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Wildlife, Hamirpur

Draft to be ready by month-end

• A draft ESZ notification had been issued by the MoEFCC in April 2022, which triggered a lot of resentment among the inhabitants residing adjoining the Pong wetland area in Dehra, Jawali, Fatehpur and Nurpur subdivisions in Kangra district.
• A revised draft proposal will be ready by this month’s end, before the expiry of the previous ESZ notification on April 28. The revised draft proposal is being prepared in accordance to the revised sanctuary boundaries and after due consultations with different stakeholders, including local communities, government agencies, ecologists and non-government organisations.

The ESZ committee headed by the Chief Conservator Forests (CCF), territorial, Dharamsala, has convened a number of consultative meetings during the past two months as per the guidelines of the union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in the Pong wetland area. The delineation of the eco-sensitive zones around the Pong wetland has been undertaken in accordance with the directives of the MoEFCC, as per the directions of the Supreme Court.

According to information, a draft ESZ notification had been issued by the MoEFCC in April 2022, which triggered a lot of resentment among the inhabitants residing adjoining the Pong wetland area in Dehra, Jawali, Fatehpur and Nurpur subdivisions in Kangra district. Initially, Dehra MLA Hoshiar Singh had raised the backlash of the issue notification of the ESZ in the assembly on December 20 last year. Following the intervention of the state government and Union Minister Anurag Thakur, the enforcement of the ESZ in the wetland area had been deferred and preparation of a revised draft proposal had been ordered by the MoEFCC.

The official sources say a revised draft proposal will be ready by this month’s end, before the expiry of the previous ESZ notification on April 28. It would be published in the gazette and a timeline of 60 days will be given to all stakeholders to register their objections and observations.

The revised draft proposal is being prepared in accordance with the revised sanctuary boundaries and after due consultations with different stakeholders, including local communities, government agencies, ecologists and non-government organisations.

The CCF, Dharamsala, has convened such five meetings during the past month at Nagrota Surian, Dehra and Dhameta in the Pong wetland area after organising a workshop for the preparation of draft ESZ on February 22 this year.

Dispelling the apprehension of any public displacement in the area after the enforcement of the revised ESZ, Reginald Royston, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Wildlife, Hamirpur, told The Tribune that the ESZ would not hamper the day-to-day activities of local inhabitants and not to displace even a single family in the area. “The ESZ will promote organic farming, eco-tourism, agroforestry, rain-water harvesting and cottage industry in the area,” he asserted.

He admitted that the revised draft of the ESZ was being prepared after raising concerns of the boundaries of the wildlife sanctuary by the local inhabitants and their doubts and concerns raised after the declaration of the ESZ around the wetland were being addressed in the consultative meetings being convened by the CCF, Dharamsala.