Lok Sabha Question No. 1893 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-29
Subject: Western Ghats
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: ANTO  ANTONY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION N0. 1893

TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.12.2017

## Western Ghats

## 1893.     SHRI ANTO ANTONY:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  issued  final  notification  regarding  implementation  of recommendations of Dr. Kasturirangan Report on Western Ghats;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d) whether the Government has noticed that the pathetic condition of the people of this area is due to the delayed notification in this regard; and
- (e) if  so,  the steps taken by the Government to protect the interest of the people in this area?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

(a) to (e)   The High Level Working Group (HLWG) under Dr. Kasturirangan has delineated the  Western  Ghats  with  an  area  of  164280  Square  kms  extending  over  1500  kms  in  188 talukas  spread  over  six  states  (i)  Kerala  (ii)  Tamil  Nadu  (iii)  Goa  (iv)  Karnataka  (v) Maharashtra  and  (vi)  Gujarat.    HLWG  has  demarcated  approximately  37%  of  the  total Geographical  area  of  the  Western  Ghats  as  Ecologically  Sensitive  Area  (ESA).  The demarcation unit of ESA is village and the ESA represents the contiguous band of vegetation including Protected Areas and  World Heritage sites across six (6) states of  Western Ghats region which is inhibited by about 50 million people.

To  facilitate  sustainable  development  in  the  region,  HLWG  recommended  the  Central Government to notify the ESA demarcated by HLWG in public interest. Accordingly, this Ministry had issued a Draft Notification on 10.03.2014 for declaring an area of 56,825 square kilometres spread over the six states of Kerala,  Tamil Nadu, Goa,  Karnataka,  Maharashtra and Gujarat in the Western Ghats region as Ecologically Sensitive. Thereafter, addressing the concerns  and  apprehensions  of  the  people  living  in  the  ESA  of  the  Western  Ghats  region, subsequent Draft Notifications dated 04.09.2015 and 27.02.2017 were published for seeking stakeholder comments, including those of State Governments.

Further, HWLG recommended prohibitory and regulatory measures in ESA for the activities that  may  adversely  impact  the  ecosystem.  Inline  with  the  HLWG  recommendation,  this

Ministry  has  issued  Statutatory  directions  vide  Order  dated  13.11.2013  to  respective  State Governments  of  the  Western  Ghats  regions  to  prohibit  five  categories  of  new  and/or expansion projects/activities in the ESA, namely (i)   Mining, quarrying and sand mining (ii) Thermal Power Plants (iii)   Building and construction projects of 20,000 square meters area and  above  (iv)  Township  and  area  development  projects  with  an  area  of  50  hectares  and above and /or with built up area of 1,50,000 square meters and above and (v) Red category of industries.

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