The Odisha government is moving to relax environmental restrictions in some of the state’s most ecologically sensitive areas—including national parks, tiger reserves, coastal zones, and Ramsar wetlands—to promote tourism development, according to official records.
Minutes from a high-level meeting chaired by the Odisha Chief Secretary on May 30 reveal plans to amend Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) notifications by removing prohibitions on construction and commercial activities. The state also intends to petition the Centre to permit forest land use for non-site-specific purposes like hospitality infrastructure and to revise Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) classifications to facilitate more coastal tourism projects.
Eco-Sensitive Zones act as protective buffers around forests and wildlife sanctuaries to shield biodiversity from harmful human interference, restricting activities such as mining, construction, and polluting industries. While eco-tourism and renewable energy projects are typically allowed under strict guidelines, Odisha’s proposal to ease “no commercial/no construction” clauses marks a significant shift.
The minutes state that the current ESZ restrictions “do not accurately reflect the enabling spirit” of the 2011 central guidelines, urging collaboration between the Forest Department and the Department of Tourism for revisiting ESZ policies.
An empowered committee has been constituted under the Additional Chief Secretary of Forest and Environment, including officials from tourism, forest, environment, and development authorities. However, the panel notably excludes independent ecologists, wildlife experts, and tribal representatives.
Experts warn that Odisha’s move risks prioritising economic interests over ecological protection and tribal rights. Debadityo Sinha, Lead of Climate & Ecosystems at the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, said, “The State is the constitutional trustee of forests and wildlife. Allowing tourism plans to merely be ‘taken into consideration’ undermines ecological imperatives.”
The proposed changes clash with existing laws like the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which bars commercial construction in protected areas unless linked to conservation or approved low-impact tourism. Forest land diversion for resorts requires clearances under the Forest Conservation Act and consent from local Gram Sabhas under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
Additionally, the state’s plans contradict June 2022 Supreme Court orders mandating at least a one-kilometre buffer around protected areas to safeguard wildlife habitats. The National Forest Policy, 1988, also stresses that economic benefits should not override environmental stability.
Sinha added, “Removing ESZ restrictions jeopardises ecological corridors and undermines the core purpose of these protective zones.”
Odisha has also asked the Coastal Zone Management Authority to reconsider CRZ classifications to support tourism in “extremely high potential” areas. However, official minutes lack references to crucial environmental safeguards like carrying capacity assessments, impact studies, or consultations with wetland authorities—especially critical for Ramsar-designated sites such as Chilika Lake.
“There is no mention of scientific evaluations to measure tourism’s impact on sensitive ecosystems and wildlife,” Sinha noted. “Such vague directions violate statutory forest and wildlife protections and risk setting a dangerous precedent for biodiversity conservation in Odisha.”
The proposed amendments have sparked concern among conservationists and legal experts, who warn of irreversible damage to the state’s rich natural heritage if economic development is prioritised at the expense of ecological and tribal rights.
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