India, Sept. 11 -- Mumbai: After a wait of seven years, the draft zonal master plan (ZMP) of Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) was released by the BMC on Wednesday, demarcating the boundaries of the park. The civic body has invited suggestions and objections within the next 30 days. The ZMP was prepared in order to document the final demarcation of the boundaries of the urban forest and highlight its eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) or buffer zone. Its aim is to protect the integrity of the ESZ, regulate land use and development, mitigate the adverse impact on the environment, prevent proliferation of polluting industries, and ensure compliance of environmental law and guidelines while also identifying the ESZ zone based on biodiversity, carrying capacity, vulnerability and sustainability. The ZMP documents all aspects of the forest-the villages, tribal population, flora and fauna and water bodies. Further, it demarcates the eco-sensitive zone, also known as the shock absorber, ranging up to four kilometres around the protected forests, which protects the core of the ecologically fragile area. However, environmental activists have raised concerns about the ZMP being prepared by the BMC. "SGNP is a forest area, so why has the BMC created the master plan? The demarcation of the forest zone is beyond its jurisdiction," said green activist Debi Goenka. "Ideally, the Konkan divisional commissioner should have headed the ESZ monitoring committee since the entire SGNP in all four districts comes under his jurisdiction." The notification from the BMC inviting suggestions and objections, however, states that after the State Wildlife Board Meeting in 2020, the then principal secretary (forest) directed the BMC municipal commissioner, also the chairperson of the ESZ monitoring committee, to prepare the ZMP. Earlier, in 2016, a notification from the ministry of environment, forests and climate change (MOEFCC) had directed the state to prepare the zonal master plan within a period of two years. The ZMP has kept all the reservations in the Development Plan (DP), allowing several projects in the ESZ. "The zonal master plan is developed taking into consideration the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act and the Development Plan (DP). But is the DP made by considering the Environmental Protection Act?" questioned Stalin Dayanand, director of environmental organisation Vanashakti. The ZMP is the first plan to document the life and conditions inside the forest and boundaries after it was declared a protected forest....