Maybe time to save what we can
The Karnataka government is finally making some effort to breathe life into the Kasturirangan report on saving the Western Ghats, which has been gathering dust for years, by trying to evolve a solution that is acceptable to all stakeholders. The Western Ghats, spread across the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat, feed many river systems in the country. The Ghats are also a global biodiversity hotspot that hosts a variety of flora and fauna, most of which are endemic to the region. The region was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012.
In 2011, the Madhav Gadgil Committee appointed by the Centre had recommended that almost the entire range be designated as an ecologically sensitive area (ESA), with varying degrees of protection for various zones designated on the basis of the fragility of a particular area. It had called for a complete ban on all developmental activities such as mining, thermal power plants and dams in Zone 1. Genetically-modified crops were to be banned in all zones. The report was described as highly impractical, with its critics arguing that declaring almost the entire Western Ghats as ESA would severely impede development in six states. With strong opposition from the states concerned and the local populace, the Centre set up the Kasturirangan Committee in 2012, essentially to water down the Gadgil report and evolve a more acceptable formula. The report proposed that 37 per cent, or about 60,000 sq km, of the Ghats be declared as ESA. Of this, 20,668 sq km, covering 1,576 villages, falls in Karnataka. However, the Kasturirangan Committee report too met with the same criticism as its predecessor and was put in cold storage.
The Centre has issued six draft notifications so far that, each time seeking to implement the Kasturirangan report. The latest draft issued in July proposes an ESA of 20,668 sq km in Karnataka. Attempting to strike a
new balance, a committee led by Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre has recommended that about 16,632 sq km be declared ESA, thus reducing the extent recommended by the Kasturirangan report by 4,036 sq km. This may be seen as a positive, given that at least 16,632 sq km can now be declared ESA and protected, or as a cynical move, given that the areas included in this figure are already protected areas. The state government contends that the other 4,036 sq km have human settlements and that ground realities must be kept in mind. The Centre may well be inclined to go ahead with Karnataka’s recommendation and finally accomplish the process of declaring a good part of the Western Ghats across the six states as ESA and protect that extent of our precious natural heritage.