SHILLONG: The Dorbar Shnong of Sonapyrdi in East Jaintia Hills held a meeting recently at Kuliang village to discuss on the issues regarding the eco-sensitive zones (ESZ) around Narpuh Wildlife Sanctuary.
A statement from the Narpuh anti eco-sensitive zones committee said that people, mostly farmers stated that the presence of ESZs will interfere with their daily lives and wages which prompted the committee to pursue the matter with the government.
The committee has also sought the help of the Supreme Court in freeing the villages and areas from the ESZs as the Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Change had never consulted with the public on the matter. In 2016, there was strong opposition from the Dorbar Elaka Narpuh and the Joint Action Committee (JAC) regarding the draft proposal of eco-sensitive zones around Narpuh wildlife Sanctuary.
However, the Central Government through the State Government decided to declare the names of the villages falling under eco-sensitive zones through the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and notified it at the Gazette of India in New Delhi on September 6, 2017.
Hundreds of people from all affected villages turned up for the meeting including local MDC Desous Pohshna.
