Cabinet approves 'Buffer Zone' status to Silent Valley
Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 6 (UNI) The Kerala Cabinet today approved a proposal for declaring the area around Silent Valley National Park at Nilgiri Hills in Palakkad as buffer zone.
This was announced by Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan at a press conference here after the weekly Cabinet meeting.
The Silent Valley National Park with a total area of 89.52 sq km, is one of the last undisturbed tracts of South Western Ghats and tropical moist evergreen forest in India.
Forest Minister Binoy Viswam said the buffer zone would have a total area of 148 sq km in the Mannarkkad and Nilambur South forest divisions adjoining the park.
The buffer zone would be managed by the Silent Valley and Bhavani forest ranges.
The proposal was hanging fire for long due to reported objection by Electricity Minister A K Balan on the ground that it would affect the realisation of the proposed Pathrakadavu hydro-electric project.
The Forest Minister had assured his Cabinet colleague that the buffer zone would not have a sanctuary status and it would be legally possible to undertake construction works and planting operations, sources said.
Though the park was only 89.52 sq km in area, it was not constituted considering the natural boundaries. The bio-diversity of the forest extends beyond the present boundaries.
The Silent Valley tropical rain forests gained worldwide attention in the late 1970s when it was threatened by the controversial Silent Valley Hydro-electric Project (SVHEP) proposed then.
Following large scale opposition from conservationists, NGOs and scientists to the project, it was eventually shelved and in 1984, the Silent Valley National Park was established.
UNI