The Government of India has designated areas around Shikari Devi Wildlife Sanctuary, located in Mandi district, as eco-sensitive zones (ESZs) to reduce the impact of urbanisation and developmental activities on the surrounding protected areas.
The sanctuary, which spans 29.94 sq km, came into existence in 1962 as an effort to conserve wildlife in the region.
The ESZ includes 43 villages of the Nachan Forest Division and the Karsog Forest Division. The Nachan division includes 34 villages, while Karsog division includes nine villages.
The ESZ was declared under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, to restrict human activities, except agriculture, in the designated areas.
According to Surender Kashyap, Divisional Forest Officer of Nachan and member secretary of the ESZ, the primary goal is to reduce deforestation and human-wildlife conflict.
The zone will be managed using a core and buffer model, aiming to protect wildlife while benefiting local communities.
The designated sensitive zone is defined from 50 m to 2 km around the sanctuary. If the zone had not been established, areas up to 10 km away would automatically have been included, affecting hundreds of villages.
Therefore, the authorities have pre-emptively included only those areas within a 2-km radius. All departments concerned have been asked to submit their plans by January 20.
“Future developmental activities in this zone will be strictly carried out as per the zonal master plan. Any project outside the master plan will not be permitted,” he said.
“Under the ESZ regulations, commercial mining, establishing pollution-causing industries, undertaking major hydropower projects, setting up hotels and resorts, and deforestation will be prohibited.
However, activities that are sustainable like organic farming and rainwater harvesting will be allowed,” he said.
“Furthermore, a special Zonal Master Plan is being developed to guide the future growth of the ESZ. A committee, chaired by the Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) of Mandi, has been set up, with members from various forest and government departments, including DFO (Nachan), DFO (Karsog), District Panchayat Officer (Mandi), and District Planning Officer, District Tourism Officer, being a part of it.
The committee has directed all members to submit the detailed action plans for their respective areas by January 20. Without these plans, no further development will be allowed within the zone,” he said.
“The Central Government has directed states to prepare specific master plans for ESZs by February to avoid any disruption to wildlife habitats, and the failure to do so will result in the automatic designation of a 10-km radius as an ESZ,” the DFO said.
