Team Herald
PANJIM: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to submit a report on the finalisation of eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) in the Western Ghats by March 31, 2020, failing which the draft notification would be deemed to be final from April 1, next year onwards.
The Plea
The tribunal, Principal Bench, was hearing a plea alleging that the notification of ESZ in the Western Ghats has not been finalised despite NGT’s directions to complete the exercise within six months.
A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel has also warned that in case of failure to adhere to the deadline, the Advisory and ESZ division will not be entitled to salaries till the compliance of the order.
“Having regard to the earlier delay and violation of undertaking given to this Tribunal and need for speedy finalisation of the notification, the ongoing proceedings cannot be unending and need to be suitably curtailed. In any case, matter must not remain hanging beyond the schedule now proposed by the Ministry,” the bench said.
“Accordingly, we direct that if there is a further default and delay beyond 31.03.2020, we may have to direct the Advisor, ESZ Division will not be entitled to salary till compliance and that the draft notification be deemed to the final from 01.04.2020,” the bench said.
The tribunal has asked the Ministry to submit the compliance report by April 5, 2020.
Draft notification
The green panel had allowed MoEF&CC to republish the draft notification of the Western Ghats that lapsed on August 26 last year and asked it to finalise the matter within six months without alterations to the ESZ in terms of notification dated February 27, 2017.
The draft notification issued by the MoEF&CC had identified area of 56,825 square kilometres spread across six states Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as the ESA.
Goa government has already raised its objection to draft notification and had urged the Ministry for almost 50 per cent reduction in the total area identified as ESZ along the Western Ghat region. The draft notification, which was based on High Level Working Group (HLWG) headed by Dr Kasturirangan Committee findings, had recommended an area of 1461 sq kms as ESA covering 99 villages.
Government has submitted a proposal recommending that only 707 sq kms of area with 69 villages be declared as ESA. These include 31 villages in and around Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) (Sattari), 16 along Netravali WLS (Quepem), 15 of Bhagwan Mahavir WLS (Dharbandora), five in Bondla WLS (Ponda) and two in Cotigao WLS (Canacona).
