The ecologically sensitive areas of Western Ghats, the
hill range of which starts near the Maharashtra-Gujarat border running
to nearly 1600 km along the States of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil
Nadu and Kerala and ending at Kanyakumari, will be prioritised into
five categories based on richness of biodiversity and other ecological
factors.
The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel
(WGEEP), which met last week, is understood to have drawn up some
guidelines for the classification during its meeting. The panel has also
framed a general outline for the formation of Western Ghats Ecology
Authority (WEA), as suggested by the Ministry of Environment and Forests
The
WEA will be headed by a senior hand well-versed in ecological matters.
The authority will have representatives of all the Ghats States and
technical experts as its members. The WEA will be empowered by invoking
the provisions of the Environment Protection Act and have statutory
powers. It will also have a decisive say in all matters related to the
Ghats, according to sources.
The panel has proposed
formation of State-level Standing Committees on Western Ghats in all the
Ghats States. The clearance for any development project in the Ghats
region will have to be obtained from the WEA. The proposals and
applications should be routed to the WEA through the civic bodies in the
respective area and State-level Standing Committees, sources said.
Conservation
The
WGEEP, headed by eminent ecologist Madhav Gadgil, was appointed by the
Ministry to recommend steps to preserve, conserve and rejuvenate the
ecologically-sensitive Ghats region. It was also asked to demarcate
ecologically-sensitive zones in the region.
The
panel is of the view that no environmentally hazardous industries and
activities should be permitted in the ecologically sensitive zones.
Development activities will be permitted in the moderately sensitive and
lower categories.
Sustainable development
The permission in these categories would come with a rider that only
green and sustainable development programmes and technologies should be
employed in the area. Industrial units were not expected in the Ghats
region and the focus would be on sustainable development patterns, panel
sources said.
Mining and such environmentally
hazardous activities will not be permitted in the first two categories.
One cannot completely ban mining. Hence, such activities will be allowed
only in the ecologically insignificant areas, the sources have said.
Report in June
The
panel interacted with representatives of various NGOs working in the
Ghats region last week. It will also hold discussions with the Union
Minister of Environment and Forest later in the month.
The WGEEP will submit its report to the Ministry in June. Originally,
it was to submit the report this month. However, it was given extension
of time.
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