Full Text
REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99
The Gazette of India
CG-DL-E-11042025-262337
EXTRAORDINARY
PART II-Section 3-Sub-section (ii)
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
No. 1609]
NEW DELHI,, MONDAY, APRIL 7, 2025/CHAITRA 17, 1947
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 7th April, 2025
S.O. 1640(E).— WHEREAS the Central Government, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section
(1), clauses (v) and (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, issued a notification to
declare an Eco-Sensitive Zone around Velavadar Black Buck National Park, Gujarat in the Gazette of India,
Extraordinary, Part-II, Section 3, Sub-section (ii), vide number S.O. 2149(E), dated the 6th July, 2017;
AND WHEREAS the Central Government is of the opinion that it is necessary and expedient in the public
interest to amend the said notification;
AND WHEREAS sub-rule (4) of rule 5 of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986 provides that whenever
it appears to the Central Government that it is in the public interest to do so, it may dispense with the requirement of
notice under clause (a) of sub-rule (3) of rule 5 of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986;
AND WHEREAS the Central Government is of the opinion that it is in the public interest to dispense with
the requirement of notice under clause (a) of sub-rule (3) of rule 5 of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986 for
amending the notification number S.O. 2149(E), dated the 6th July, 2017;
Now, THEREFORE, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1), clauses (v) and (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
(4) of rule 5 of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, the Central Government hereby makes the following
amendments in the notification of the Government of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change,
published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part-II, Section 3, Sub-section (ii), vide number S.O. 2149(E), dated
the 6th July, 2017, namely:-
In the said notification, for paragraph 5 and 6, the following paragraphs shall be substituted, namely:-
"5. Monitoring Committee.- The Central Government hereby constitutes a Monitoring Committee consisting
of the following persons in the Table below, namely:-
+-------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| (i) | Collector, Bhavnagar | Chairman, ex officio; |
+-------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| (ii) | Representative of the Department of Forests and Environment, Government of Gujarat | Member, ex officio; |
+-------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| (iii) | Regional officer, State Pollution Control Board, Bhavnagar | Member, ex officio; |
+-------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| (iv) | One representative of a Non-Governmental Organisation working in the field of Environment or | Member; |
| | Wildlife (including heritage conservation) to be nominated by the Government of Gujarat from | |
| | time to time every three years | |
+-------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| (v) | An expert in the area of ecology or wildlife from a reputed institution or university to be | Member; |
| | nominated by the Government of Gujarat from time to time every three years | |
+-------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| (vi) | Senior Town Planner of area | Member, ex-officio; |
+-------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| (vii) | Member, State Biodiversity Board | Member, ex-officio; |
+-------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| (viii)| Assistant Conservator of Forests (In-Charge of the Velavadar Black Buck National Park) | Member Secretary, |
| | | ex- officio; |
+-------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
6. Functions of Monitoring Committee.- (1) The Monitoring Committee shall, based on the actual site-specific
conditions, scrutinise the activities covered in the Schedule to the notification of the Government of India in the
erstwhile Ministry of Environment and Forest, number S.O. 1533 (E), dated the 14th September, 2006, and are falling
in the Eco-sensitive Zone, except for the prohibited activities as specified in the Table under paragraph 4 thereof, and
referred to the Central Government in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change or the State
Environment Impact Assessment Authority, as the case may be, for prior environmental clearances under the
provisions of the said notification.
(2) The activities not covered in the Schedule to the notification referred to in sub-paragraph (1) and falling in
the Eco-sensitive Zone, except for the prohibited activities specified in the Table under paragraph 4 thereof,
shall be scrutinised by the Monitoring Committee based on the actual site-specific conditions and referred to
the concerned regulatory authorities.
(3) The Member-Secretary of the Monitoring Committee or the Collector or the Deputy Conservator of Forests
shall be competent to file complaint under section 19 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 against any
person who contravenes the provisions of this notification.
(4) The Monitoring Committee may invite a representative or expert from the Department concerned,
representative from the industry associations or stakeholders to assist the committee in its deliberations
depending on the requirements on case-to-case basis.
(5) The Monitoring Committee shall submit the annual action taken report of its activities annually for the period
up to the 31st March of every year to the Chief Wildlife Warden by the 30th June of that year in pro-forma
specified in Annexure-V.
(6) The Central Government may give such directions in writing, as it deems fit, to the Monitoring Committee
for effective discharge of its functions.".
[F. No. 25/87/2015-ESZ-RE]
Dr. S. KERKETTA, Scientist "G"
NOTE.-The principal notification was published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section
(ii), vide S.O. 2149(E), dated the 6th July, 2017.