Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said Union Environment and Forest Minister Bhupender Yadav has assured the state that the Centre would not take hasty decision on declaring eco-sensitive zones in Western Ghats region.
The CM led a delegation of state leaders including Ministers and MPs from Malnad region to appraise their concern over the draft notification of declaring 20,668 sq. km of the Western Ghats as eco-sensitive area in Karnataka.
Union Minister of State for Agriculture Shobha Karandlaje, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra, Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, Shivamogga MP B Y Raghavendra, Kodagu-Mysuru MP Pratap Simha, BJP National General Secretary C T Ravi and others were in the delegation.
Emerging out of the meeting, which was held for nearly one hour, the CM told reporters that the Centre would take the state into confidence before taking the final decision on declaring eco-sensitive zones.
“The Minister assured us that without consulting the state, the Centre will not go ahead with its decision,” the CM said.
"The Union Minister also agreed to our suggestion to take up ground survey of areas before declaring them as eco-sensitive zones. The Ministry has already constituted a committee on this issue, which will visit all the states before finalising its opinion," Bommai said. He also said the Union Minister agreed to visit the state and hear the people living in Western Ghats to take the ground view.
The CM said that they have apprised the minister about the concern of residents living in the economic sensitive zones identified by the Kasturirangan Report.
Last week, the state cabinet opposed the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests draft notification declaring 20,668 sq. km of the Western Ghats as eco-sensitive area as per the recommendation of Kasturirangan Committee and urged the Centre to withdraw the notification.
The Ministry of Environment and Forests recently issued a draft notification announcing 46,832 sq km as eco-sensitive area in five states along the Western Ghats as per the recommendation of the K Kasturirangan Committee. Of these, Karnataka has the highest area (20,668 sq km). All states concerned have been given three months to file objections.