CHENNAI: The Centre was yet to receive the view of Tamil Nadu on the draft notification declaring certain areas of the Western Ghats as ecologically sensitive based on the recommendations of the Kasturirangan Report, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday.
Though Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa and Gujarat had responded, Tamil Nadu had not submitted its views on the draft notification, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Anil Madhav Dave said, adding, “A time limit of 545 days has been provided for finalisation of the draft notification for notifying the ecologically sensitive areas of the Western Ghats.”
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had, in September 2015, issued a draft notification declaring an area of 56,825 sq. km spread over Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat in the Western Ghats as ecologically-sensitive.
The recommendations of the report of the High Level Working Group (HLWG) headed by K. Kasturirangan were over identification and demarcation of ecologically sensitive areas in the Western Ghats, and regulation of certain activities, which would have maximum interventionist and damaging impact on the ecosystem.
The Minister was responding to a query raised by DMK MP Tiruchi Siva, who sought to know whether the government had decided to proceed with the recommendations of the committee, and if yes, the time frame that had been agreed upon [for different recommendations].
There were oppositions to the recommendations from these States on various grounds.
Caption: In September 2015, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had issued a draft notification declaring 56,825 sq. km in the Western Ghats as ecologically sensitive.
