Populated areas and wildlife sanctuaries should be exempted from the buffer zone; Minister AK Saseendran writes to the Centre

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Forest Minister AK Saseendran has written to the Union Forest and Environment Minister to exempt populated areas from the buffer zone. He said that legislation should be enacted against the one-kilometre limit for the buffer zone. The letter also called for the exclusion of wildlife sanctuaries and national parks from the buffer zone limit.

Minister Saseendran wrote to the Centre after SFI activists attacked Rahul Gandhi's office alleging that he did not interfere in the buffer zone issue. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has called a high-level meeting on Thursday on the buffer zone issue. The CM called the meeting to discuss the crisis that may occur during the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment and the details of areas to be exempted.