Amendment Final Notification Declaring Eco Sensitive Zone, S.O.No. 2765(E) Valmiki National Park and Tiger Reserve, Bihar

EXTRAORDINARY PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY No. 2560] NEW DELHI, FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2021/ASHADHA 18, 1943 MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE NOTIFICATION New Delhi, the 9th July, 2021 S.O. 2765(E).—WHEREAS, by the notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change published in the Gazette of India vide number S.O. 3026(E), dated the 13th September 2017, the Central Government notified an Eco-sensitive Zone (ESZ) surrounding the Valmiki Wildlife Sanctuary, Valmiki National Park and Valmiki Tiger Reserve in the State of Bihar; AND WHEREAS, the Government of Bihar vide its letter no. Wildlife-235, dated 27.04.2021 requested the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for an amendment; AND WHEREAS, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change have examined the request of the Government of Bihar; NOW THEREFORE, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) read with clause (v) and clause (xiv) of sub–section (2) and sub-section (3) of section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986) read with sub-rule (3) of rule 5 of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, the Central Government hereby makes the following amendments in the said notification, namely: - In the said notification,- (i) in paragraph 4, in the TABLE, under the heading ―A. Prohibited Activities‖, for serial number 1, and the entries relating thereto, the following shall be substituted, namely:- Sl. No. Activity Description A. Prohibited Activities ― 1. Commercial mining, stone quarrying and crushing units. (a) All new and existing mining (minor and major minerals), stone quarrying and crushing units are prohibited with immediate effect except for meeting the domestic needs of bonafide local residents including digging of earth for construction or repair of houses within Eco- sensitive Zone. (b) The mining operations shall be carried out in accordance with the order of the Hon’ble Supreme Court dated the 4th August, 2006 in the matter of T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad Vs. UOI in W.P.(C) No.202 of 1995 and dated the 21st April, 2014 in the matter of Goa Foundation Vs. UOI in W.P.(C) No.435 of (ii) in paragraph 6, in sub-paragraph (1), for the words ―for a period of three years from the date of publication of this notification in Official Gazette‖, the words ―till further orders, provided that the non-official members of the Committee shall be nominated by the State Government from time to time‖ shall be substituted. Note : The principal notification was published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (ii), vide notification number S.O. 3026 (E), dated the 13th, September 2017. and Published by the Controller of Publications, Delhi-110054. ALOK KUMAR