Many elected representatives from the 11 districts of the Western Ghats region have expressed concern over increasing the eco-sensitive area (ESA) beyond the existing 16,114 sq. km.
Following the release of the Centre’s sixth notification on August 2 regarding the ESA of the Western Ghats, the State government has to submit its stance by the end of the month.
In this regard, a meeting was convened by Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre on Thursday which was attended by Ministers, legislators, and parliamentarians from the 11 districts.
Many representatives expressed concern that increasing the ESA beyond the existing 16,114 sq. km would severely impact the lives of people living near forest boundaries.
“A 16,114-sq. km ESA around various forest and wildlife sites in the State has already been protected, and this limit can be accepted in line with the Kasturirangan committee report,” Mr. Khandre said after the meeting.
The Kasturirangan committee report had identified 20,668 sq. km as the eco-sensitive zone in the State. However, representatives noted that a physical survey could increase this area further.
The representatives also raised concern about the displacement of people who have lived in forest areas for generations, stating that even if resettlement is offered elsewhere, these people are unlikely to move.
Mr. Khandre said the opinions of the representatives would be discussed in the Cabinet sub-committee meeting on Friday, and after consultations with the Chief Minister, approval would be sought from the Cabinet before submitting the State’s stance to the Centre.
The Minister also said the Union government should announce a special package. “Even if the existing 16,114-sq. km area is approved, the livelihoods of people in the 1,576 villages within this region would be disrupted. Therefore, the Central government should announce a special package,” the Minister said.
Published - September 19, 2024 09:06 pm IST
