Parliament Question: Reduction of ESZ around Bannerghatta National Park

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 66 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.01.2026 Reduction of ESZ around Bannerghatta National Park

66. SHRI JAGGESH:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Central Government is aware of reported reduction of Eco-Sensitive Zone around Bannerghatta National Park, Karnataka, and the procedures followed in this regard;

(b) whether such reduction is required to conform to existing guidelines, environmental norms and statutory provisions;

(c) whether the Ministry has undertaken any evaluation regarding the impact of reduction on wildlife, including elephant movement and habitat connectivity in the Bannerghatta landscape; and

(d) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by Government to ensure the protection of ESZs' to safeguard wildlife and ecological integrity? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a) to (d) Eco-sensitive Zones (ESZs) are declared around the Protected Areas (National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries), based on the proposals received from the State Governments/UTs and in accordance with the directions of Hon’ble Supreme Court issued from time to time including the Guidelines formulated by this Ministry dated 09.02.2011. Based on the proposal received from the State Government of Karnataka, the Ministry published the first draft notification, declaring ESZ around Bannerghatta National Park vide S.O. 2116(E) dated 15.06.2016, with an ESZ area of

268.96 sq. km and ESZ extent ranging from 100 m to 4.5 km. Subsequently, the draft notification lapsed after two years (in 2018) due to non-submission of additional information from the State Government of Karnataka.

Further, in 2018 based on the revised proposal received from the State Government of Karnataka, a new draft notification was published by the Ministry vide S.O. 5639(E) dated 30.10.2018 with an ESZ area of 168.84 sq. km and ESZ extent ranging from 100 m to 1 km around the Bannerghatta National Park. Considering the recommendations of the Expert Committee of ESZ, the Ministry issued final notification, declaring ESZ around Bannerghatta National Park vide S.O.

1036(E) dated 11.03.2020, keeping ESZ area as 168.84 sq. km and ESZ extent of 100 m to 1 km.

The ESZ notification mandates for the preparation of a Zonal Master Plan by the respective State Governments within two years of publication of the final notification, which is approved by the Monitoring Committee constituted for compliance of the provisions of the notification.

As per the information received from the State of Karnataka, the report titled “Elephant Corridors of India 2023” has identified three corridors in Bannerghatta National Park. The elephant corridorsof Bannerghatta National Park, namely Karadikkal-Madeshwara and Bilikkal-Javalagiri corridors come under the forest areas of Bannerghatta National Park of Karnataka and North Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary of Tamil Nadu. Further, major part of Tali-Bilikkal corridor comes under the forest area of both the States i.e. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. A small portion of Tali-Bilikkal corridor comes under the non-forest area in the State of Karnataka, which is covered under the ESZ of Bannerghatta National Park.

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