SHILLONG: The Dorbar Shnong of Sonapyrdi, East Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya which is concerned about the Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZ) around Narpuh Wildlife Sanctuary, Meghalaya convened a public meeting to all the affected villages on Saturday at Kuliang village.
A statement from the Narpuh Anti-Eco sensitive zones committee said the people, mostly farmers voiced their concerns over the Eco-Sensitive Zones.
In this connection, the committee decided to follow and to pursue this matter with the government and even knock the door of Supreme court to free the villages and area from ESZ because the Ministry of Forest Environment & Climate Change has done it without Consulting the general public at large and without the consent of the general public of the area.
Farmers stated that with the presence of ESZ , people of the area might lose their daily bread and it will affect their living in the near future.
In 2016, there was an opposition from the Dorbar Elaka Narpuh and the Joint Action Committee ( JAC) regarding the draft proposal of Eco-sensitive zones around Narpuh Wildlife Sanctuary but the Government of India through the Government of Meghalaya has decided to go ahead and declare many villages falling under Eco-Sensitive zones around Narpuh Wildlife Sanctuary through the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and notified it through the Gazette of India dated New Delhi, the September 6, 2017.
Hundreds of people turned up for the meeting and it was attended by all the affected villages including the local MDC, Desous Pohshna.