Why in news?

• At a virtual meeting on implementation of the Kasturirangan Report on Western Ghats, Karnataka CM said declaring Western Ghats as ecologically sensitive Area would adversely affect the livelihood of people in the region. Karnataka have the highest percentage of the Eco-Sensitive Area - 46.50%.

Eco-Sensitive Areas (ESA)

• Eco-Sensitive Areas are located within 10 kms around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
• ESAs are notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) under Environment Protection Act, 1986.
• ESAs are aimed at regulating certain activities to minimise the adverse impact on the fragile ecosystem encompassing the protected areas.

Importance of Western Ghats

• The Western Ghats is an extensive region spanning over six States.
• It is the home to many endangered plants and animals.
• It is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• It is one of the eight “hottest hotspots” of biological diversity in the world.
• Western Ghats influence Indian monsoon weather patterns by intercepting the rain-laden monsoon.

Madhav Gadgil Report

• Report proposed that this entire area be designated as Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA).
• Within this area, smaller regions were to be identified as ESZ I, II or III based on their existing condition and nature of threat. According to the report, 64% area would fall under ESZ I or II.
• None of the 6 States accepted the recommendations.

Kasturirangan Committee Report

The Kasturirangan committee sought to balance the development and environment protection. Major recommendations were :

• 37 % of the total area of Western Ghats, which is roughly 60,000 square kilometres, to be declared as eco-sensitive area (ESA).
• A blanket ban on mining, quarrying, setting up of red category industries and thermal power projects.
• The impact of infrastructural projects on the forest and wildlife should be studied before permission is given for these activities.
• UNESCO Heritage tag is an opportunity to build global and domestic recognition of the enormous natural wealth that exists in the Western Ghats.
• 39 sites are located across the Western Ghats and distributed across Kerala (19), Karnataka (10), Tamil Nadu (6) and Maharashtra (4).
• Boundary of the sites in most cases are boundaries of the legally demarcated national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, tiger reserves and forest divisions and therefore, already accorded with high level of protection.

State Government’s view on the report

• The state governments believes that implementation of the report will halt the developmental activities in the region.
• The Kasturirangan Report has been prepared based on the satellite images, but the ground reality is different.
• People of the region have adopted agriculture and horticultural activities in an eco-friendly manner. Priority has been accorded for environment protection under the Forest Protection Act.
• Thus, bringing one more regulation that would affect the livelihood of the local people is not appropriate.

Present status of the deemed forest land

• There is a growing concern over the forest encroachments. For example, in Karnataka, the state government has planned to further shrink the deemed forest area from 3,30,186.938 hectares to 2 lakh hectares.
• There have been massive exploitation of forest across the forest areas and these have been done at the behest of political leaders, industrialists and forest officials.

Conclusion

• It’s a techno centric vs ecocentric development debate.
• Decisions should be based on scientific study rather than popular will.
• Any further delay in the implementation will only make a biological Hotspot to get collapsed under the unsustainable anthropogenic exploitation.