Deadline for Western Ghats states on 'eco-sensitive areas'

Only Kerala has submitted ground report to Centre

The Union Environment and Forest Ministry has set April 2015 as the deadline for six Western Ghat states to submit ground surveys before the Centre decides on notifying the “ecologically sensitive areas” (ESA) as per the recommendations of the K Kasturirangan committee.

“All states have been mandated to give their suggestions by April 2015 after which the ESA will be notified. The seven states have gone to the village level to complete the ground truthing surveys,” Union Environment minister Prakash Javadekar said here at the end of the state environment ministers meeting, attended by 30 ministers.

Kerala is the only state that submitted its report to the ministry. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat now have to submit their report by the month end.

Many states are opposed to the idea of having the ESA in the biodiversity rich Western Ghats. “Strong public opinion is evident in Karnataka against eco-sensitive area notification and proposed development restrictions in the Western Ghat region,” said Ramanath V Rai, Karnataka environment and forest minister.

“Overwhelming perception is that there are already umpteen restrictions under existing forest, wildlife and environment statutes and there should be no further embargo in whatsoever form it may be,” Rai added.

In March, 2014 the Centre issued a draft notification on the ESA in the Western Ghats based on the Kasturirangan panel report.

The report includes 123 Kerala villages inside the ESA. But the state objected to the recommendations and carried out its own assessment to propose a new boundary line for the ESA.

As a result, the draft notification declares 9,993.7 sq km as the ESA compared to 13,108 sq km as recommended by the panel. The total area under the ESA was reduced to 56, 825 sq km from the original proposal of 59,940 sq km.

Subsequently, the MoEF asked other states to carry out their own “ground truthing” exercise before the draft notification is finalised halting industrial activities in those areas.

The National Green Tribunal too asked the ministry not to issue any fresh environmental clearance for projects in the Western Ghats till it decides on the ESA.
The state ministers have also asked the MoEF to amend the Indian Forest Act of 1927 to ensure effective implementation of the law. States were assured that their outstanding compensatory forest money (on the net present value) would be realised by May 31. The states have now been asked to create land bank in degraded, non-forest and revenue forest lands.