Team Herald
PANJIM: A 10-member Central government expert committee on the Western Ghats is scheduled to visit Goa from November 26 to deliberate and finalise the list of villages to be designated as Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs) in the region.
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The State government has proposed identifying 87 villages as ESAs, which differs from the Centre’s current recommendation of 108 villages. The committee’s visit is expected to include discussions with local stakeholders and State officials to resolve the discrepancies and finalise the boundaries.
The designation of ESAs is crucial for balancing development and environmental conservation in the Western , a UNESCO-recognised biodiversity hotspot.
A State government-appointed committee has recommended the exclusion of 21 villages from the draft ESA list of 108 villages. Of these, 12 villages are in Sattari taluka (North Goa district), five in Dharbandora taluka, three in Sanguem taluka, and one in Canacona taluka (South Goa district).
During their three-day visit, the expert committee, chaired by former Director General of Forests Dr Sanjay Kumar, will assess and verify whether the State’s request to drop 21 villages from the ESA designation is justified. On November 27, the committee will hold discussions with senior officers and officials of the State Government to address issues related to the proposed exclusion of villages.
The expert committee comprises chairman Dr Sanjay Kumar and members Prof Raman Sukumar, P K Gajbhiye, Dr R P Singh, Dr Ssatish C Garkoti and Dr HitendraPadalia, Dr S Kerketta, advisor/scientists-G, MoEF&CC and member convenor; Dr W Bharat Singh, scientist ‘F’, MoEF&CC; Dr Ritesh Joshi, scientist ‘F’ MoEF&CC and Anil Thakar, consultant, MoEF&CC.
