‘No more reduction in Western Ghats’ eco-sensitive area’
Taking note of the unprecedented flood devastation in Kerala earlier this month, the National Green Tribunal has barred any further reduction in the eco-sensitive area (ESA) of the Western Ghats from the 56,825 sq km proposed by the environment ministry in a draft notification in February.
The principal bench of the NGT in Delhi asked the environment ministry to notify this within six months and made it clear that any reduction, if sought, would have to be vetted by the tribunal first.
Hearing a petition filed by the Goa Foundation, the bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said: “Any alteration in the draft notification dated 27.02.2017 may seriously affect the environment, and especially in view of recent incidents in Kerala, we direct that no changes be made to reduce the area of Eco-Sensitive Zone in terms of notification dated 27.02.2017, without the same being considered by this Tribunal.”
Over 250 people were killed in the Kerala floods this month. Ecologist and writer Madhav Gadgil had blamed the floods on ecological damage to the Western Ghats. The ministry of environment, forests and climate change had in the February draft notification identified an area of 56,825 sq km spread across six
PANAJI:
states -- Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu -- as the Western Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Area. This is slightly less than the 59,940 sq km recommended in 2013 by a panel headed by former ISRO chief K Kasturirangan.
In 2010, Gadgil had recommended that 75% of the ghats be declared as ESA. But Kasturirangan brought it down to 37% after consulting the six states.
The draft notification has banned mining, setting up of thermal power plants and other red category industries as classified by the Central Pollution Control Boards in ESAs. It has also recommended that state and national level monitoring bodies must ensure that ESAs are shielded from ecologically damaging activities.