NGT orders Sunderbans mapping

Is the Sajnekhali Tourist Lodge within the core area of the Sundarbans? Nobody can say for sure as there is no clear demarcation between the core, buffer and transition.The NGT, Eastern Zone bench, on Friday directed the ministry of environment and forests to map the Sundarbans, marking out the three zones. “The Sundarbans is a Biosphere Reserve and must have three distinct zones of transient, buffer and core. With no such demarcation, there is possibility that human activity is going on in the core area.The mangrove forest has to be mapped to ensure no activity takes place in the core area. I hope the Sajnekhali lodge is not in the core area,“ environment activist Subhas Datta submitted before the bench of Justice Pratap Ray and Prof P C Mishra on Friday . He is amicus curiae in a matter of degradation of the Sundarbans ta ken up suo motu by the NGT.

A senior forest official said under the tiger conservation plan, a demarcation of core and buffer has been made in the tiger reserve area. He said the core area of the tiger reserve serves as the core area of the Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve. But Datta said such demarcation wasn't enough and a minitry-approved map needed.

According to international standards, a transition zone of Area of Co-operation is a large outer area of a biosphere reserve where people live and work and use natural resour ces in a sustainable manner. In the buffer zone, activities are held so they do not hinder conservation in the core area. This area may be used for research or tourism provided human use is less than in the transition area. The Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve website says, of the 2,585 sq km tiger reserve area, 1,330 sq km is the core area. The rest forms the buffer zone and Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary , over 362 sq km, is part of it. The core area is a zone which is out of bounds for all save for forest department staff and conservationists.