'Take up only eco-friendly projects in W Ghats'

On Tuesday, the Task Force chairman Anant Hegde Ashisar submitted the recommendations to Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa.

The task force asked the government to frame a land use policy in tune with the fragile ecosystem of the Western Ghats. It said the government should recognise horticulture, dairy and ecotourism as the prime developmental projects in the region. The catchment areas of all major and perennial rivers of the state should be protected and more conservation programmes should be taken up in order to ensure water security, it said.

The report said the Western Ghats has global, national and regional importance. It stressed the need for organising a Sahyadri Summit in Bangalore to discuss conservation of forests, sustainable development in the region. The Task Force recommended that rural people, including tribal people in the naxal affected areas should be involved in development projects.