Karnataka’s objections to the K. Kasturirangan Committee report on demarcation of ecologically sensitive areas (ESAs) got a major blow after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) recently directed the State, along with five other west coast States, not to clear projects affecting the Western Ghats.
The NGT directed the Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) not to reduce the extent of the ESAs, and ordered the Centre to finalise the issue within six months. This has come as a blow to Karnataka where 20,668 sq. km of villages may be declared as ESAs.
Minister for Forests R. Shankar said he would take the issue to the Cabinet for further action on implementing the draft notification issued by the ministry. “In line with the stand taken by the previous government, the coalition government had also dropped the report as it would restrict development projects in villages. As the government has to abide by the NGT order, we have no alternative but to take the Cabinet’s opinion,” he said.
Based on the NGT order, which was delivered on a petition by Goa Foundation, the MoEF&CC has formed a 10-member expert committee to submit a report in four months on demarcating the ESAs in 56,825 sq. km of revenue villages close to the forests of the Western Ghats.
Karnataka has most of the forest areas, while Gujarat has the least — 448 sq. km. The ESAs are expected to be declared covering 1,576 villages in Uttara Kannada, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Belagavi, Mysuru, Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Hassan, and Chamarajanagar districts in the Western Ghats region.
Banned
The draft notification has banned mining, setting up of thermal power plants and other red category industries as classified by the Central Pollution Control Board in the ESAs. It has also recommended State-level and national-level monitoring bodies to ensure the eco-sensitive areas remained inviolate from ecologically damaging activities.
