Lok Sabha Question No. 1983 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-14
Subject: High Level Working Group Report
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: SHOBHA KARANDLAJE, PRATHAP SIMHA

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION N0. 1983

TO BE ANSWERED ON 14.03.2017

## High Level Working Group Report

## 1983    KUMARI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE: SHRI PRATHAP SIMHA:

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

- (a) the  salient  features  and  recommendations  made  by  the  High  Level  Working  Group under Dr. Kasturirangan on the Eco-Sensitive Areas (ESAs) in the Western Ghats;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  decided  to  proceed  with  the  recommendations  of  the report presented by the Committee;
- (c) if  so,  the  details  of  the  recommendations  that  have  been  adopted,  along  with  the proposed timelines for the implementation of the same;
- (d) whether all the stakeholding States in the Western Ghat region have submitted their final views on the draft notification regarding Kasturirangan Report;
- (e) if  not,  the  names  of  States  which  have  not  submitted  their  final  views  on  the  draft notification; and
- (f) the  proposed  date  for  issuance  of  the  final  notification  on  the  said  report  by  the Government?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  FOR  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)

(a). Salient  features  and  recommendations  made  by    the  High  Level  Working  Group (HLWG) under  Dr. Kasturirangan relate to definition and delimitation of the Western Ghats, identification and demarcation of Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs) in the Western Ghats region  and  regulation/prohibition  of  certain  activities  which  have  maximum  interventionist and damaging impacts on the ecosystems of the Western Ghats.

(b)  and  (c)  To  provide  immediate  protection  to  the  Western  Ghats  and  to  maintain  its environmental  integrity,  the  Government  has  issued  Directions  under  Section  5  of  the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 on 13 th November 2013. As per the Directions, the five categories  of  new  and/or  expansion  projects/activities  eg  (i)      Mining,  quarrying  and  sand mining (ii)   Thermal Power Plants (iii)   Building and construction projects of 20,000 sq. m. area  and  above  (iii)  Township  and  area  development  projects  with  an  area  of  50  ha  and above  and  /or  with  built  up  area  of  1,50,000  sq.m.  and  above  and  (v)  Red  category  of industries identified in the HLWG Report as having maximum impacts on ecosystems are not to  be  considered  for  granting  Environmental  Clearance  in  the  Ecologically  Sensitive  Areas (ESA) of Western Ghats.

Further,  the  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  has  issued  a  draft Notification  on  10.03.2014  declaring  an  area  of  56,825  sq.  km  spread  over  six  states  of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat in the Western Ghats region as Ecologically Sensitive. The draft Notification was republished on 4.09.2015 superseding the earlier draft Notification. The draft Notification, under its  Section (3) (1) (a), (b), (c) & (d), has provision to prohibit certain projects and activities in eco-sensitive areas of Western Ghats which have maximum interventionist and damaging impacts on the Western Ghats ecosystem.

(d) and (e) While  views  have  been  received  from  the  State  Governments  of  Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa and Gujarat, the State of Tamil Nadu has not submitted their views  on  the  draft  notification  regarding  Kasturirangan  Report  for  declaring  eco-sensitive areas in Western Ghats.

(f). On 27 th February, 2017 the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has republished the draft Notification on the Ecologically Sensitive Areas of the Western Ghats superseding  the  earlier  draft  Notification.  A  time  limit  of  545  days  has  been  provided  for finalisation of the same draft Notification.