The Hon’ble Supreme Court, in the year 2006, ordered that all National Parks and protected areas of the country must have buffer zones, referred to as Eco-sensitive Zones (ESZ), around them. Additionally, all states were directed to produce Eco-Sensitive Zone Maps for sanctuaries, National Parks, and protected areas. However, the state of Maharashtra delayed the process for Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) and did not produce the ESZ Map.

To address this, the government was directed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to declare the Ecological Sensitive Zone of Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Finally, in 2016, the ESZ for the National Park was declared, and the buffer zone was protected. However, the conditions within the ESZ were found to be insufficient for ecological protection, leading to a legal challenge. Despite this, the ESZ has been notified due to Vanashakti's petitions in the NGT.