PANJIM: In a major development, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has directed the Goa government to conduct a review of the Dr Kasturirangan Committee report on the Western Ghat and submit a report within two months, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said, on Wednesday. However, the state has asked for six months time to re-survey the areas mapped in the report.
Parrikar said that the government would constitute its own committee to re-survey the areas; but that would be done only after the monsoon season. “I will be asking for time of at least six months,” he said. The chief minister would be leaving for Delhi on Wednesday night, wherein he would be meeting the MoEF minister and the Union mines minister.
K Kasturirangan panel that was formed to advise government on the recommendations made by the Western Ghat ecology expert panel led by Prof Madhav Gadgil, had stated that 37 per cent of the biodiversity-rich Western Ghats –about 60,000 square kilometres of the total 1,64,000 square kilometres ~ be notified as ESZ.
It has identified total 99 villages in Sattari (56), Sanguem (38) and Canacona (5) as eco sensitive areas. Of the total 1749 square kilometes, 1461 square kilometess has been categorized as ESZ in these three talukas.
Herald had exposed glaring discrepancies in the committee report .It investigated that 14 out of 99 villages identified as the “ESZ by the panel does not exist in Goa. Also there are more than 10 villages whose names have been repeated.
The chief minister had urged the ministry to review its earlier notification of an immediate outright ban on mining activities within one kilometer of wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in the state and rather allow state to phase out mining in buffer zones in next 10 years.
Government had proposed zero buffer for one of its lone bird sanctuary- Salim Ali Bird sanctuary at Chorao and one kilometer for rest of the six wildlife sanctuaries-Mhadei, Netravali, Bhagwan Mahaveer and Bondal and Cotigao. Government has refused to accept three kilometres eco-sensitive area (ESA) for Cotigao and one kilometre ESA for Salim Ali.
“If you read the Kasturirangan report, everything is permitted. Why is (chief minister) Manohar Parrikar making statements that it will stop development in the state? Only thing it will stop is mining in these areas. Because thered category industry is against policy of the government. Parrikar instead of doing this should start mines that are outside these boundaries. Why is he not encouraging mining in areas where it is allowed?
Though Gadgil and Kasturirangan have taken opposing views, they have one thing in common as both have said that mining should not be allowed in the Western Ghats region.
According to Gadgil, 49 leases will have to close while according to the Kasturiranjan report 38 will have to close down (36 leases are common in both reports).
Claude Alvares, activist
