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Indian bishops reiterate concerns about eco-sensitive zones

Court order to remove humans from buffer zones around protected areas may displace a million people in southern Kerala state
A houseboat sailing in the backwaters, near the city of Alappuzha in the Indian state of Kerala, in this photograph taken on Jan. 9, 2018. The Supreme Court of India has ordered a ban on human activities in buffer zones around protected forests, parks and sanctuaries, which may displace a million people in the southern state

A houseboat sailing in the backwaters, near the city of Alappuzha in the Indian state of Kerala, in this photograph taken on Jan. 9, 2018. The Supreme Court of India has ordered a ban on human activities in buffer zones around protected forests, parks and sanctuaries, which may displace a million people in the southern state. (Photo: AFP)

Published: August 15, 2022 10:49 AM GMT
Updated: August 16, 2022 04:10 AM GMT

Catholic bishops have reminded the provincial government in the southern Indian state of Kerala to present people’s concerns before the country’s top court regarding the proposed buffer zones coming up around protected forests, parks and wildlife sanctuaries.

The Supreme Court of India on June 3 made the setting up of eco-sensitive zones (ESZs) of a minimum of one kilometer mandatory along the demarcated boundaries of every protected forest, national park and wildlife sanctuary across the country.

The court had given three months to the federal and state governments to file their objections to the directive that required eliminating all human activity in the ESZs.

“Now we have hardly three weeks’ time left to implement the buffer zones that could cause large-scale displacement of farmers and their families,” said Bishop Jose Pulickal of Kanjrapally diocese.

An estimated one million people within Kerala live in areas that may be acquired to set up ESZs and the communist-led provincial government was expected to gather statistical data on them to present to the court for the purpose of seeking exemption from likely eviction, the bishop said.

Thousands of those facing eviction are Catholics across several dioceses, especially in the hilly districts of Kerala.

The government ordered the forest department to examine the concerns of the forest-dwelling communities but did little on the ground to address the real issue of large-scale displacement, Bishop Pulickal said.

“No new permanent structure shall be permitted to come up for whatsoever purpose within the ESZ,” ordered the court after protracted inaction from the federal and state governments to present the factual position on the destruction of forests and the environment due to increased development and human activities.

Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) along with some 61 big and small farmers’ organizations in the state have opposed any move to implement the top court order as it would entail displacement of humans.

“Our bishops had on several occasions appealed to the Communist government in the state to appraise the top court and seek an exemption from implementing the order but nothing has been done yet,” says Father Jacob G. Palakkappilly, spokesperson of the KCBC.

He said the KCBC has now suggested the state government include representatives of farmers’ bodies, revenue, agriculture and village administrations, besides elected people’s representatives, along with the forest department to expedite the gathering of statistical data to be presented to the top court.

“This data will have to be submitted to the Federal Empowered Committee that will present it before the top court. If this is not done within the specified time, the state government will have to implement the top court order and the people of the state will suffer its consequences,” Father Palakkappilly added.

The priest said the one million people were mostly marginal farmers who will have nowhere to go if their ancestral homes and agricultural lands were taken away.

The KCBC also handed over a memorandum of its concerns to Bhupender Yadav, the Federal minister for forest and environment, who said it was the Kerala state government’s responsibility to collect the required data.

The state government is yet to notify the boundaries of 23 of the 24 protected forests in the state.

The KCBC has been demanding that the mandatory ESZs or buffer zones be fixed within rather than outside the current boundaries of the protected forests, parks and wildlife sanctuaries to avoid human displacement.

It says the Church and forest-dwelling communities will not accept any move to expand the boundaries of the protected areas from the existing position.

The state government has said it is equally concerned for the people and would seek exemption from implementing the top court’s order.

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