The fate of the contentious Kasturirangan report could hang in balance till the formation of a new Government after the general elections even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said that the report on Western Ghats is under consideration.
He indicated that the concern of the six States viz. Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa and Gujarat will be addressed before a final decision.
Environment Ministry sources said a notification of the ecologically-sensitive zones would be issued only after hearing out the six States.
By harping on the issue of addressing concerns of six States, the Ministry, according to sources, will take up the better part of five months. This means that a conclusion is unlikely before the polls. The forthcoming general elections scheduled for May is seen as the main reason for putting the contentious report on the backburner.
Former Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan had to take a back step on her previous order of banning developmental activities by six States in the 60,000 sq km of ecologically sensitive area of Western Ghats (as per Kasturirangan report) by allowing agriculture and plantation in the eco-fragile Western Ghats. She, however, had to step down shortly after the move and the decision on the implementation of the report had continued to hang in balance.
On the same day of his taking over the Environment Minister, Moily had met the Chief Ministers of Kerala and Maharashtra seeking the details of their detailed comments and opinions on the report.
According to the Kasturirangan report about 60,000 sq km or 37% of the total area defined as the boundary of the Western Ghats is ecologically sensitive. It recommended prohibition on activities that could have adverse impact on the environment of the eco
fragile mountains. The committee had submitted its report in April 2013.