Karnataka Government is in the process of preparing an action plan to preserve ecology that had “deteriorated” following mining activities, Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said on Thursday.
The Supreme Court had asked the state government to file an affidavit spelling out “future course of action” vis-a-vis “rejuvenating the environmental aspects which had deteriorated during mining activity”, he said.
Speaking after inaugurating the 53rd annual general meeting of the Karnataka Planters’ Association (KPA) and later talking to reporters, he said “So, we are having a plan with us” and the first round of discussions had already been held in this context.
Two or three more rounds of discussions were in the pipeline before submitting the affidavit to Supreme Court, expected in a fortnight.
Asked if the lease of those involved in illegal mining - in the backdrop of Supreme Court and SC-appointed Central Empowered Committee observations - would be cancelled, the Chief Minister said “it’s not yet finalised”, adding, only after the “final report of CEC and SC” that he would be able to comment on the issue.
Stating that the government was giving a thrust to promote ecological balance, he indicated that eco-friendly coffee plantations - Karnataka accounts for about 70 per cent of the coffee production in India - and bio-diversity rich Western Ghats in the State would find mention in the affidavit as the State readies to defend its commitment to stem environmental degradation.
