UPSC Prelims 2014 Q95: Environment & Ecology – Environmental Governance & Legislation
With reference to ‘Eco - Sensitive Zones’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. Eco - Sensitive Zones are the areas that are declared under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
2. The purpose of the declaration of Eco - Sensitive Zones is to prohibit all kinds of human activities
in those zones except agriculture.
Select the correct answer
using the code given below.
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Explanation
Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs)
ESZs are buffer areas around National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
| Statement | Verdict | Fact |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Eco-Sensitive Zones are declared under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 | Incorrect | They are notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 |
| 2. The purpose is to prohibit all kinds of human activities in those zones except agriculture | Incorrect | Activities are sorted into prohibited, regulated and permitted; not everything is banned |
How activities are treated:
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Prohibited | Commercial mining, saw mills, polluting industries, large hydro projects |
| Regulated | Felling of trees, hotels, widening of roads |
| Permitted | Farming, rainwater harvesting, organic farming, green technology |
Extent: usually up to 10 km around a protected area, decided site by site by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. They are declared under the Environment (Protection) Act, not the Wildlife Act.
- (b) Incorrect. ESZs do not prohibit all human activities.
- (c) Incorrect. Both statements are false.
- (d) CORRECT. ESZs come under the Environment (Protection) Act and regulate, not ban, activity.
Key point
Eco-Sensitive Zones: notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, around protected areas (up to about 10 km); activities are prohibited, regulated or permitted.
Remember
ESZ = Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
Common mistakes
- Linking ESZs to the Wildlife (Protection) Act.
- Accepting 'all kinds of human activities'.
- Confusing ESZs with the core of a protected area.
Exam tip
Parks and sanctuaries: Wildlife Act. The zone around them: Environment Act.
Sources
- Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change — Guidelines for Declaration of Eco-Sensitive Zones around National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries (2011)
- Environment (Protection) Act, 1986