The centre has decided to declare Dandi, the site of historic salt satyagrah by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930, as an eco-sensitive zone.

"We had received a proposal from the Gujarat government that the Gulf of Kutch and Dandi be declared as eco -sensitive zones looking at their unique ecology and historical importance," union minister for environment and forests Jairam Ramesh said today.

"I am happy to inform that the Central Government has decided to declare Dandi and three surrounding villages as an eco-sensitive zone under the Environment Protection Act, 1986," he said.

The move would mean that an industrial unit or any other project coming up in the area would need prior approval of the local people, the Minister said.

Ramesh was speaking after launching a project, Green Action for National Dandi Heritage Initiative (GANDHI), here.

Dandi, in Navsari district, is a small village on the western coast of Gujarat.

"A local monitoring committee, comprising panchayat members and villagers, would be constituted. The committee will be responsible for preserving the ecology of the area.

The proposal with regard to Gulf of Kutch was under consideration by the Environment Ministry, he added.

About GANDHI, Ramesh said it was a national project and was not a political initiative.