The Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) will take up the issue of revising the area of eco-sensitive zone on the outskirts of the city with the state government, mayor Gautam Deb said here on Monday.
According to a gazette notification issued by the Centre in September 2020, areas which come within 5km of a reserve forest are considered eco-sensitive zones with curbs on construction work in the areas.
A number of villages in the surrounding areas of Siliguri, Matigara and Rajganj blocks and even two wards of the city, 42 and 46, have come under the zone.
“Once festivities are over, I will meet the chief minister and chief secretary and request their intervention so that the stipulated distance is reduced to 1km from 5km. Because of this notification, the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority has stopped issuing LUCCs (land use compatibility certificates), mandatory for construction work in case any proposal is submitted for construction under these areas. The Centre should also consider the situation,” said Deb.
He said that vast areas in and around the city have come under the zone as these are within 5km of forests of Kurseong forest division, the Mahananda wildlife division and the Baikunthapur forest division.
Among these is a major township in Matigara.
“The revision of the identification of zones is under process, as the state government and central government are involved in this issue. We are expecting a positive outcome,” the mayor said at the monthly board meeting of the civic body.
On September 27 last year, the civic body held a meeting with different stakeholders. At the meeting, it was decided that a proposal to rework the boundary of such zones to 1km would be sent to the district magistrates of Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling districts.
“We have information that the principal chief conservator of forests of the state has forwarded the proposal for realignment of such zones to the Union ministry of environment and forests. We would urge the state government to pursue the issue,” said mayor Deb.
