Hubballi, dhns: Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri said on Sunday that the union ministry of environment, forests & climate change had agreed to form a separate committee to study the impact of declaring the Western Ghats as an ecologically sensitive area (ESA), and come up with rules that are pro-people and pro-environment.
He told reporters that the elected representatives from the Western Ghats and ministers from the state, during a recent meeting, informed the union environment minister of the harmful effects of implementing the ESA.
“The union government understood our concerns and decided to form a committee. The committee members will listen to the grievances of the affected people, and based on the suggestions, the government will formulate the new policy,” he said.
The notification identifies 20,668 sq km area of the Western Ghats in the state as ESA.
It covers 1,572 villages across 10 districts. This is, roughly, based on the recommendations by the K Kasturirangan committee on conserving the Western Ghats.
Karnataka has so far rejected the ESA tag four times, owing to the fear that it will bring restrictions in implementing development works.
Kageri said, officially, Uttara Kannada district has 80% forest cover.
"To draw water pipes, electricity lines, and even for construction of hospitals, we have to 'sacrifice' the forest cover. The ESA tag will affect such basic requirements of the people of Uttara Kannada district," the Speaker said.
“We need the protection of both environment and people. So, we are opposing the ESA tag,” he said, and added that a majority of the affected people had read the draft notification of ESA in English and were opposing it.
Published 31 July 2022, 17:33 IST