Do ground-truthing on Ghats reports, Javadekar tells States

KOCHI,
The Hindu,  June 21, 2014

The Western Ghats States have been asked to do the ground-truthing regarding the findings of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel and High Level Working Group as these reports were prepared using satellite imageries, Prakash Javadekar, Minister for Environment and Forest, has said.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, the Minister said a decision on the conservation of the Western Ghats would be taken after consultations with all the Ghats States.

On the development of a greenfield airport at Aranmula, Mr. Javadekar said representatives of the organisations that were fighting the project had met him.

Spelling out the priorities of the new government, Mr. Javadekar said development and conservation of nature should go hand in hand. Replying to a question on the violations of coastal regulation zone (CRZ) guidelines in Kerala, he said enforcement and compliance of laws was one of the priority areas of the new government.

Mr. Javadekar declined to comment on the reports that some NGOs were behind agitations against a few projects, including some power projects.

Several environment groups and environmentalists, including V.S. Vijayan, a member of the Gadgil committee, gave representations to the Minister seeking his intervention to protect the Western Gats and amendments to the CRZ regime to suit the Kerala conditions. The organisations that gave the representation to the Minister included the Swadeshi Science Movement, Salim Ali Foundation, Western Ghats Protection Council, All Kerala River Protection Council, and the Prakrithi Samrakshana Vedi.