Explained | Proposed eco-sensitive zone in Neyyar and Peppara wildlife sanctuaries

The story so far:

The story so far:

On March 25, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) issued a draft notification to declare an Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) that will encompass large swathes of human-inhabited areas around the Neyyar and the Peppara wildlife sanctuaries in Kerala’s capital district Thiruvananthapuram.

What is the notification about?

The draft notification seeks to conserve and protect an area of 70.906 sq.km. that will extend up to 2.72 kilometres from the boundaries of the protected areas of the sanctuaries.

The two wildlife sanctuaries, which form part of the core area of the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve in Western Ghats, are known to be blessed with rich biodiversity. Studies have discovered around 1000 species of flowering plants that belong to over 132 families in the protected areas. Besides, they are known to sustain diverse fauna including 43 mammal species, 233 bird species, 46 reptile species, 13 amphibian species, 27 marine species and a wide variety of butterflies and odonates. The endangered Myristica swamps are also endemic to the protected areas.

The proposed ESZ that extends to a maximum of 2.72 km in the west and 2.39 km in the north-west directions from the boundaries of the sanctuaries is intended to preserve such ecological abundance.

Which areas will become part of the proposed zone?