Buffer zone: Congress warns of agitation if public concerns not addressed

The Congress on Saturday threatened to lead a public agitation if the Left government in Kerala does not take immediate steps to address concerns of the farmers and common people who would be affected by the Supreme Court order to maintain a one kilometre buffer zone around protected forests and wildlife sanctuaries across the country.

Not just the Congress, but locals in various villages of Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki and Kozhikode districts of the state said they would be protesting against the inclusion of habited, commercial and agricultural areas in the buffer zone in a recent report compiled by an expert committee appointed by the state government.

The Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) too came out against the expert committee report and said that urgent intervention by the state government was required to address the concerns of the public.

It suggested, in a statement, that the areas of protected forests or wildlife sanctuaries be decreased by one kilometre to ...