Buffer zone around forest areas: TN villagers fear losing livelihoods

With the Supreme Court ordering all the protected areas including national parks, wildlife reserves, and sanctuaries to have a 1 km buffer zone, the residents of Gudalur in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris district fear for their livelihoods. 

On June 3, while disposing of a batch of public interest litigations (PILs) including one seeking protection of forest land in Nilgiris district, the court ordered a 1 km buffer zone and banned further activities including mining and setting up of any industries in the region. The buffer zone is the ecologically sensitive zone around the protected area, where human activity is restricted.

Also read: Forest Conservation Rules help raze forests, rights and all in between

The order has put the livelihoods of over 20,000 people residing in 85 villages in and around Gudalur at risk. The residents fear that they would be vacated from the place, where they have been farming for generations.

Maintaining boundaries

“We never trespassed inside the forest for anything. We have been living within the boundaries for years and, in fact, we have been protecting the forest from other intruders. But, the order seems to have put a ban on every activity. Even otherwise, for farming and grazing our cattle on our land, we have to inform the forest department and this order makes the process even more difficult,” Kumaran of Sreemadurai village in Gudalur told The Federal.

The residents also raised concerns over getting approval for further construction on their own land and a ban on the cultivation of crops on their farmland.

Also read: Govt defends new forest conservation rules

“We reside near the Mudumalai Tiger reserve. But, this forest also has more elephants. We are scared that this SC order would also put a curb on cultivating certain crops that may attract elephants. Already, such curbs are there, but we are scared that we would be evacuated from the place if we do not adhere to their orders,” Viswanathan, a villager from Gudalur, told The Federal.

The villagers demanded that the state government appear before the Supreme Court seeking modification in the SC order or write to the Centre to exempt Gudalur from the Economic Sensitive Zone rules.

MLA slams state’s stance

Gudalur constituency AIADMK MLA Pon Jayaseelan criticised the state government for not filing an appeal petition before the Supreme Court.

“The issue is the same across the country. But, when you look at Kerala, days after a protest erupted in the state, the state government approached the SC seeking modification,” Jayaseelan told The Federal. “The state’s environment minister also met the Union Environment Minister regarding this. Whereas, in Tamil Nadu, nothing has happened. The state has not even decided to file an appeal petition.”

Also read: Sharp fall in Tamil Nadu’s mangrove cover, reveals forest survey report

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi president Thol Thirumavalavan also pressed the state government to file an appeal petition before the SC without any delay.

“Since the livelihood of thousands of people will be affected, the state government should act immediately and file a petition before the SC before the September 3 deadline,” he said in a statement.

Ban on select activities

However, forest department officials said that the ban was only on mining and chemical industries in the 1 km buffer zone. “Other activities that were happening before the Supreme Court order can continue, be it farming or residing in the buffer zone. But no new construction would be allowed,” a senior official with the Tamil Nadu forest department told The Federal.