TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
NEW DELHI: The Environment and Forests Ministry has asked five States, including Goa and Maharashtra, falling in the Western Ghats region to demarcate the “ecologically sensitive areas” (ESA) by physical verification as already done by Kerala for any changes in its November 13 order on the recommendations of the Dr K Kasturirangan-headed high-level working group (HLWG).
Without staying the order on subsequent order on December 12, the ministry had written to all States on January 16 for their comments on the HLWG report. Karnataka, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu are the three other States falling under the Western Ghats.
The ministry was impressed by Kerala setting up a State-level committee as also panchayat
committees for physically verifying sensitive areas. While the HLWG sought to declare 13,108 square kilometre area of the State as ESA, the State government rushed the experts identifying only 9993.7 sq km, including 9107 sq km of forests, as the sensitive area, urging that the agricultural land, plantations and habitations be kept out of ESA.
“Considering that Kerala is the only State among the Western Ghats which has undertaken the exercise of demarcating ESA by physical verification post HLWG report, the draft notification will state it while seeking objections or suggestions from stakeholders,” the ministry said in a memorandum issued last Tuesday.
It also urged the stake holders to have a look at the village-level details of ESA proposed by the State government that are available with the Kerala State Biodiversity while sending objections or suggestions on the draft notification.
Asked when the ministry intends to issue the draft notification, an official said it has been deferred in view of the model code of conduct coming into force and as such the ministry will wait for recommendations of the State governments asked to carry out the physical demarcation of the ESA.
