JAIPUR: The National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) principal bench has directed the Union ministry of environment & forests (MoEF) to issue final notification declaring the area around Keoladeo National Park , Bharatpur, an eco-sensitive zone ( ESZ ) within four weeks.The NGT order was issued on March 6, 2019. The tribunal also imposed a penalty of Rs 5,000 on the officer responsible for not taking prompt steps to complete the procedure for notification within the earlier granted time.The MoEF was initially directed to issue notification by February 28, 2019. In January 2019, sixty days were granted to invite objections from the stakeholders before issuing the final notification. But, MoEF failed to complete the process within the given deadline.“Interestingly, the meeting had been called by the Ministry only on 28.02.2019. Now it has been submitted before us that further time is required. The date of the order passed by us, the time granted for doing the needful and the first step of calling the meeting having been taken by the ministry only on February 28, 2019 that is to say after 51 days, speaks for itself that the respondent were responsible for the delay and steps were not taken at appropriate time,” reads the NGT order. A petition to declare (ESZ) was filed with regard to noise pollution which is taking place around the bird sanctuary.Keoladeo National Park is spread over an area of 28.73 square kilometer and lies at the confluence of the Gambhir and Banganga rivers in Bharatpur District Sources said, the boundaries of ESZ for Keoladeo National Park will be 500 meters around the notified limits.The ESZ also covers the areas of Bharatpur Municipal Corporation and Panchayatsamiti Sewar. “The park used to be the only wintering area for the rare and endangered central population of the Siberian Crane till 2002. It serves as a major wintering area for migratory birds from Central Asia . Around 42 species of raptors and 9 species of owls are seen in the park. It is necessary to conserve and protect the area and to prohibit industries after declaring an eco-sensitive zone,” said the official.Sources further said, on or after the publication of this notification in the Official Gazette, no new polluting industries will be permitted to be set up within the Eco-sensitive Zone. “Only non-polluting industries will be allowed within Eco-sensitive Zone as per classification of Industries in the guidelines issued by the Central Pollution Control Board in February 2016,” sources said.

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