Gazette Notification : Extent and boundaries of Eco-sensitive Zone / Zonal Master Plan for Eco-sensitive Zone : Eco-sensitive Zone shall be to an extent of 2 kilometres to 5 kilometres around the boundary .

New Delhi,
the 28th August, 2020

AND WHEREAS, no objections and suggestions were received from persons and stakeholders in response to the draft notification;

AND WHEREAS, the Sri Penusila Narasimha Wildlife Sanctuary spreading over an area of 1030.85 square kilometres is located in two revenue districts (Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore District Nellore and Kadapa) in the State of Andhra Pradesh. The Penusila Narasimha Wildlife Sanctuary is located between two important hill passes known as ―Badvel – Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore – Nellore road‖ passing on the North, Rapur – Chitvel road passing on the South, Podalakur-Somasila road on the East, Kadapa – Rajampet road on the South and Sidhavatam – Badvel road on the West. This Sanctuary spreads in three forest circles such as Guntur, Kurnool and Wildlife Management Circle, Tirupathi, four forest divisions i.e. Nellore, Rajampet, Kadapa and Proddatur;

AND WHEREAS, the Sri Penusila Narasimha Wildlife Sanctuary lies between 14.161530 and 14.677480 N latitudes and 78.984510 and 79.629500 E longitudes. Two big water bodies viz., the Kandaleru Reservoir and Somasila Reservoir are exists inside the Sanctuary;

AND WHEREAS, the Sri Penusila Narasimha Wildlife Sanctuary had been declared as Wildlife Sanctuary under the provision of section 18 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (53 of 1972) vide Government of Andhra Pradesh, the Environment Forest and Science and Technology, (For III) G.O M.s. No. 106, dated the 15th September 1997;

AND WHEREAS, this Sanctuary is a domain of rich habitat for unexplored bio- diversity, especially many endangered flora and its associated fauna. The Sanctuary is ornamented with mosaic of geo- morphological features supporting variety of flora and fauna. Most of the Sanctuary possess hilly terrain with plateaus, ridges, gorges and deep valleys which support dry deciduous forests with an under growth of grasses. Dry thorny and dry evergreen forests surround the fringe;

AND WHEREAS, the forests of Nellore, Rajampeta, Kadapa and Proddatur divisions are comprised of mainly superior dry deciduous types. The most common species occurring are Pterocarpus santalinus, Anogeissus latifolia, Terminalia tomentosa, Pterocarpus marsupium, Hardwick iabinata, Chloroxylon swietenia, Lannea grandis, Boswellia serrata, Dalbergia paniculata, Zizyphus xylopyrus and Lagerstroemia parviflora, etc.;

AND WHEREAS, the topography of the Sanctuary enables the occurrence of varied micro and macro habitats to shelter variety of fauna. The upper plateaus, dry tracts of fringe areas with lofty hill slopes in the centre, numerous hill streams, valleys and deep gorges, rock shelters, wood lands, bamboo forests contribute to the existence of a variety of wildlife species. Under the zoogeographic classification, this area comes under Indo-Malayan region (Cis-Gangetic sub-region) native to the true Indian fauna like the black buck (Antilope cervicapra) and four horned antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis);

AND WHEREAS, among the most obvious keystone species are top predators like anther (Panthera pardus), wild dog (Lycaon pictus), etc. Bats are another example of keystone species of this area;

AND WHEREAS, it is necessary to conserve and protect the area, the extent and boundaries of Sri Penusila Narasimha Wildlife Sanctuary which are specified in paragraph 1 as Eco-sensitive Zone from ecological, environmental and biodiversity point of view and to prohibit industries or class of industries and their operations and processes in the said Eco-sensitive Zone;

AND WHEREAS, requisite additional information for finalisation of the draft notification was submitted by the State Government on the 28th March, 2019. However, the process of final notification was halt for few days due to Model Code of Conduct from the Election Commission of India and the above draft notification completed 545 days on 1st July, 2019. As a result, the State Government requested to consider the proposal of publication of final notification exercising powers under sub-rules (4) of the rule (5) of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986;

NOW, THEREFORE, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) and clauses (v) and (xiv) of sub-section (2) and sub-section (3) of section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986) (hereafter in this notification referred to as the Environment Act) read with sub-rule (3) and (4) of rule 5 of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, the Central Government hereby notifies an area to an extent varying from 2 kilometres  to  5   kilometres   around   the   boundary  of   Sri   Penusila   Narasimha   Wildlife   Sanctuary,   in Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore and Kadapa districts in the State of Andhra Pradesh as the Eco-sensitive Zone (hereafter in this notification referred to as the Eco-sensitive Zone) without the requirement of notice under clause (a) of sub-rule (3) of rule 5 of the said rules, in public interest; and details of which are as under, namely:-

1. Extent and boundaries of Eco-sensitive Zone. –