Eco-sensitive Zone shall be to an extent of 1 kilometre uniform around the boundary of Kesharbagh Wildlife Sanctuary and the area of the Eco- sensitive Zone is 18.3 square kilometres

MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST
AND CLIMATE CHANGE 

NOTIFICATION

New Delhi,
the 28th August, 2020

S.O. 2941(E).—WHEREAS, a draft notification was published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, vide notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change number S.O. 4151 (E), dated the 18th November, 2019, inviting objections and suggestions from all persons likely to be affected thereby within the period of sixty days from the date on which copies of the Gazette containing the said notification were made available to the public;

AND WHEREAS, copies of the Gazette containing the said draft notification were made available to the public on the 18th November, 2019;

AND WHEREAS, no objections and suggestions were received from persons and stakeholders in response to the draft notification;

WHEREAS, Kesharbagh Wildlife Sanctuary is situated about six kilometres from Dholpur district in the state of Rajasthan. This area was notified as ‘Reserved Area’ on the 7th November, 1955 under the provisions of the Rajasthan Wild Animals and Birds Protection Act, 1951. It is a ‘Deemed Sanctuary’ under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The area of the Sanctuary is 14.76 square kilometres. Preliminary notification of Kesharbagh Forest Block was issued on the 21stJune, 1956. Final notification of the Forest Block was issued on the 23th November 1981. The area of the Forest Block is 1476.64 hectares comprises of seven compartments;

AND WHEREAS, although the Sanctuary is small, the area is an important historical place. Kesarbagh Palace named after an erstwhile queen of Dholpur – Kesarbai is situated in the Sanctuary and presently it is residence the Military School Dholpur. Sloth bears can be seen in the Sanctuary occasionally and has also potential for leopard population. Hyena, jungle cat and jackal are also found in the Sanctuary. Water body named India Lake is also found inside the Sanctuary which supports the winter feedings of migratory birds during winters;

AND WHEREAS, the major flora of the Sanctuary are khair (Acacia catechu), reonj (Acacia leucophloea), kumtha (Acacia Senegal), dhonk (Anogeissus pendula), hingot (Balanites aegyptica), dhak (Butea monosperma), kareel (Capparis decidua), heens (Capparis sepiaria), lasoda (Cordia myxa), barna (Crataeva religiosa), thor (Euphorbia spp.), papdi (Holoptelia integrifolia), jamun (Syzygium cumini), ber (Zizyphus mauritiana), etc. While the major fauna of the Sanctuary are Indian wild boar (Sus scrofa cristatus), sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), jungle cat (Felis chaus), blue bull/nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus), Indian hare (Lepus nigricollis ruicaudatus), hedge hog (Hemiechinu sauritus), striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), jackal (Canis aureus), common mongoose (Herpestes edwardsii), porcupine (Hystrix indica), python (Python molurus), Russels’s viper (Pipera russelli), cobra (Naja naja), rat snakes (Ptyas mucosus), common krait (Bungarus caeruleus), Indian monitor (Varanus griseus), etc;

AND WHEREAS, important rare, endangered and threatened species of the Sanctuary are hyaena (Hyaena hyaena), sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), leopard (Panthera pardus) and the like.

AND WHEREAS, it is necessary to conserve and protect the area, the extent and boundaries of Kesharbagh Wildlife Sanctuary which are specified in paragraph 1 as Eco-sensitive Zone from ecological, environmental and biodiversity point of view and to prohibit industries or class of industries and their operations and processes in the said Eco-sensitive Zone;

NOW, THEREFORE, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) and clauses (v) and (xiv) of sub-section (2) and sub-section (3) of section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986) (hereafter in this notification referred to as the Environment Act) read with sub-rule (3) of rule 5 of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, the Central Government hereby notifies an uniform area of 1 kilometre around the boundary of Kesharbagh Wildlife Sanctuary in Dholpur district in the State of Rajasthan as the Eco-sensitive Zone (hereafter in this notification referred to as the Eco-sensitive Zone) details of which are as under, namely: –

1. Extent and boundaries of Eco-sensitive Zone. 

• (1) The Eco-sensitive Zone shall be to an extent of 1 kilometre uniform around the boundary of Kesharbagh Wildlife Sanctuary and the area of the Eco- sensitive Zone is 18.3 square kilometres. Extent of Eco-sensitive Zone in  different directions (kilometres) are:

• (2) The boundary description of Kesharbagh Wildlife Sanctuary and its Eco-sensitive Zone is appended in Annexure-I.

• (3) The maps of the Kesharbagh Wildlife Sanctuary demarcating Eco-sensitive Zone along with boundary details and latitudes and longitudes are appended as Annexure-IIA, Annexure-IIB, Annexure-IIC and Annexure-IID.

• (4) List of geo-coordinates of the boundary of Kesharbagh Wildlife Sanctuary and Eco-sensitive Zone are appended in Table A and Table B of Annexure III.

• (5) The list of villages falling in the proposed Eco-sensitive Zone along with their geo co-ordinates at prominent points is appended as Annexure-IV.

2. Zonal Master Plan for Eco-sensitive Zone.

• (1) The State Government shall, for the purposes of the Eco-sensitive Zone prepare a Zonal Master Plan within a period of two years from the date of publication of this notification in the Official Gazette, in consultation with local people and adhering to the stipulations given in this notification for approval of the competent authority of State………………….. Read More