The Environment Ministry has issued an ultimatum to all States along the Western Ghats to submit their final reports on demarcation of ecologically-sensitive areas in their respective areas as per the high-level working group, headed by Dr K Kasturirangan, by the end of this month.
The directive also says that the Ministry would take an independent decision on demarcation of the boundaries of Ecologically-Sensitive Areas (ESA) if the States failed to submit their reports by then. Of the six States bordering Western Ghats, Kerala is the only State to have submitted its report.
While Goa has the
maximum area of ESA zones, it is followed by Karnataka and Kerala.
According to sources in the Ministry, Kerala has submitted the cadastral maps of 123 ESA villages along with colour-coded maps, demarcating the residential areas, water bodies, sandy grounds, farmlands, plantations, forests and hilly areas in each village. The sources however informed that the State Government in its report has exempted 3,115 sq km of the total 13,108 sq km classified as ESAs by the Kasturirangan committee.
This follows demands for exemptions in the State,
especially from the owners of rubber plantation and
stone quarries.
The issue of ESA Zone in Western Ghats had raised much controversies in the past following the formation of two high level committees — Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) led by Dr Madhav Gadgil, which was later trashed by the Ministry. This was following severe oppositions from Governments of the bordering States along the Western Ghats.
Dr Madhav Gadgil in his report had recommended notification of nearly 75 per cent of Western Ghats area as ecologically sensitive zone restricting developmental activities.
The Green Ministry henceforth formed a high-level working group (HlWG) headed by Dr Kasturirangan. The report subsequently recommended 37 per cent of the Ghats to be declared as ecologically sensitive. However, it also called for restricting commercial activities like mining, thermal power plants, polluting industries and even large housing plans.
In its affidavit to National Green Tribunal, the Ministry had confirmed that it has accepted the Kasturirangan committee report for demarcation of ESA zones in Western Ghats. The affidavit was in response to an order of NGT passed on August 25, 2014.
As per the Kasturirangan report, the total area which has now been declared ecologically sensitive in Western Ghats stands at 56,825 sq kms. This has been reduced from 1.29 lakh sq km delineated in the Gadgil report.