NGT notice to Centre on plea to set up permanent body to protect Western Ghats

The National Green Tribunal has issued notice to the Centre on a petition to preserve the Western and Eastern Ghats by constituting a permanent body on the basis of the recommendations made by the Madhav Gadgil and Kasturi Rangan Committees and to implement and execute the same in their true spirit.

The application has been filed by Advocate and political activist K S Radha Krishnan in the Principal Bench of the NGT.

The Principal Bench headed by its chairperson Adarsh Kumar Goel has issued the notice to the Centre and other concerned state governments.

The petitioner prayed the Green Bench to direct the concerned authorities to take effective measures to prevent huge encroachment in the water bodies coupled with destroying of forest wealth.

Though both committees have made several recommendations and NGT also passed an order, authorities concerned failed to take steps to protect the biodiversity of Western Ghats.

The petitioner submitted that rampant encroachments of forests, water bodies and illegal sand mining posed a great threat to the Eastern Ghats. Taking advantage of existing laws, a large number of tree felling is occurring which has resulted in hills of the Eastern Ghats becoming barren, its streams running dry and the biodiversity disappearing gradually.

An aromatic and valuable tree like sandalwood trees are removed illegally and such uncontrolled removal has resulted in the ecological imbalance faced in these regions.

“Only if the people realise the importance of a clean environment and cooperation with local administration, the natural resources can be protected,” the application reads.

Despite the NGT giving its order, the Centre and states including Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa and Kerala are not taking any steps to protect the Western Ghats, the petitioner said.