(a) whether it is a fact that Mt. Abu has been declared as a Eco Sensitive Area in 2009 and `General Master Plan` was to be prepared within 2 years but it has not been prepared even after four years; and
(b) if so, the details thereof and the corrective steps taken/proposed to be taken in this regard?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)
(a) and (b): The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change had published the notification declaring Mount Abu Eco-sensitive Zone in Rajasthan in the Gazette of India vide S.O. No. 1545 on 25th June 2009. As per this notification, the State Government of Rajasthan has to prepare a Zonal Master Plan for the Eco-sensitive Zone within a period of two years from the date of publication of the notification and submit the same for the approval of the Central Government in the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
The State Government of Rajasthan had forwarded the Zonal Master Plan of Mount Abu to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change on 10th January, 2012. The same was referred to the Monitoring Committee of the Mount Abu Eco-sensitive Zone for obtaining their views/comments. The Zonal Master Plan was again re-submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change on 12th April 2013 and it was considered in the 3rd meeting of the Expert Committee for Eco-sensitive Zones constituted by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change on 23rd April 2013. The Expert Committee suggested that the State Government should undertake validation and ground truthing of data by superimposing satellite imagery on the Zonal Master Plan. The Expert Committee on Eco-sensitive Zones again considered the Zonal Master Plan prepared by the State Government after superimposition of satellite imagery in its 8th meeting held on 3rd December 2014. It was decided that the State Government would duly forward the consolidated Zonal Master Plan presented before the Expert Committee for approval of the Central Government after obtaining recommendations of the Monitoring Committee.