Hartal against Centre's notification on wildlife park total

A dawn-to-dusk hartal, toprotest against the draft notification of the Centrecategorising a specified area around Wayanad WildlifeSanctuary as an ecologically sensitive zone (ESZ), was neartotal here on Monday.

The hartal was called for by the Congress-led UnitedDemocratic Front (UDF) which is in the opposition in thestate of Kerala.

Normal life in the district was hit with almost all shopsshut and no public transport in and around major towns likeKalapetta, Bathery and Mananthavady.

The Vasari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithy, an organisation ofbusinessmen in te state, had declared support to the hartal.

According to the draft notification issued by the UnionMinistry of Forests and Environment on January 28, an extentof zero to 3.4 kms around the sanctuary would fall under theeco-sensitive zone.

Many villages border the sanctuary and hence many humansettlements in the fringe areas would fall within the zone,the UDF said.

The sanctuary, spread over nearly 344 sq km, is rich inbiodiversity and is a habitat of elephants and tigers.

The Diocese of Sultan Bathery too extended its solidarityto the protest.

Many Christians, belonging to the second and thirdgeneration of migrated settler-farmers, live and haveplantations on the fringe of the forests in several parts ofthe district bordering the Deccan plateau.

The notification would be in force for 60 days to enablepeople and organisations to file complaints or suggestions.

Once the ESZ is made official, norms would be in place inland utilisation, construction and business activities withinthe specified areas falling under the zone.

On Sunday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote to PrimeMinister Narendra Modi seeking the latter's intervention toensure densely populated areas around the sanctuary wereexcluded by the Environment Ministry while notifying eco-sensitive zones.