Bhagirathi Eco Sensitive zone (ESZ) ( UPSC Prelims)

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News Context

The Uttarakhand Government has recently approved the Netala bypass project within the Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ), despite previous rejections by the Supreme Court's high-powered committee (HPC) due to concerns about its ecological and social impact. This zone was established to safeguard the most pristine section of the River Ganga between Gaumukh and Uttarkashi town.
 Eco-sensitive Zones are areas that are ecologically fragile, surrounding Protected Areas and wildlife corridors, and serve as "Shock Absorbers." The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) issued a notification in 2012, later amended in 2018, under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The Zonal Master Plan (ZMP) requires the Uttarakhand Government to develop a plan based on a watershed approach, which includes the governance of critical areas such as forests and wildlife.