Environmental groups want buffer zone part of Silent Valley park

 
Greens , while welcoming Wednesday's decision of the State Cabinet to create a buffer zone for the Silent Valley National Park, have demanded that the zone be made part of the national park in order to protect it from all sorts of human interference. Environmental groups see the Cabinet decision to create a 148 sq km buffer zone for the Silent Valley a major victory for them- they have been raising the demand for quite some time now. Though the buffer zone will come under the park administration it will have the status of only a reserve or vested forest.

The new buffer zone is carved out of the Mannarkkad, Attappady and Kalikavu forest ranges. The environmentalists are happy that their proposal for the buffer zone was cleared by the Cabinet despite opposition from the Power Ministry. The move of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) to take up the Pathrakadavu hydroelectric project in the vicinity of the park was one of the reasons for the delay in declaring the buffer zone.

  (The Hindu,9th  June  2007)