Plea in SC against Centre’s 2018 draft ESA demarcation
KERALA-BASED NGO ALSO SOUGHT THAT THE 2018 NOTIFICATION OF THE MINISTRY BE DECLARED AS UNCONSTITUTIONAL AS IT VIOLATES THE RIGHT TO LIFE AND LIVELIHOOD OF FARMERS GUARANTEED UNDER ARTICLE 21 OF CONSTITUTION.
Press Trust of India
A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the 2018 draft notification of the ministry of environment, forests and climate change demarcating an area of 56,825 square kilometre spread across six states as the Western Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA). The Western Ghats, spread across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, are recognised by UNESCO as one of the world’s eight most important biodiversity hotspots.
The plea filed by an NGO ‘Karshaka Shabdam’ through advocate Suvidutt M S sought directions to the Centre and Kerala to not implement the recommendations of Western Ghats Ecologically Expert Panel (WGEEP), also called the Gadgil Committee, and of the High-Level Working Group, also called the Kasturirangan Committee. The Kerala-based NGO also sought that the 2018 notification of the ministry be declared as unconstitutional as it violates the right to life and livelihood of farmers guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. In 2010, the ministry had constituted an expert panel (WGEEP)for strategising and conserving the Ghats and to lay more emphasis on the sustainable aspects of the Ghats.
The panel submitted its report in 2011. In 2013, following the criticism of the Gadgil Committee report from various quarters, a High-Level Working Group headed by K Kasturirangan was constituted to examine the report and recommendation of WGEEP, and it submitted a report the same year. The NGO said that the 2018 notification once implemented in Kerala would affect the livelihood of lakhs of farmers as their agricultural lands would come under the demarcated ESA. The plea also sought implementation of the recommendations of the Oommen V Oommen committee constituted in 2014 to review the Kasturirangan committee report.