Lok Sabha Question No. 633 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-20
Subject: Ecologically Sensitive Areas in Western Ghats
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: RAMACHANDRAN MULLAPPALLY, (ADV.) JOICE GEORGE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION N0. 633

TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.07.2018

## Ecologically Sensitive Areas in Western Ghats

## 633.     SHRI MULLAPPALLY RAMACHANDRAN: ADV. JOICE GEORGE:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  received  comments/views/inputs  from  all  the  western ghats States about Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs) as per Kasturirangan report, if so, the details there of;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  received  revised  recommendations  from  the  State  of Kerala on demarcation of ESA in western ghats and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the Government  is  planning  to issue a fresh draft notification with incorporating the comments/inputs from concerned States;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the time by which final notification is likely to be issued in this regard; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  has  noticed  that  delay  in  issuing  final  notification  has aroused  much  panic  among  stakeholder  population  and  affected  developmental projects like road construction, hospitals, mills etc. and if so, the details thereof and the corrective measures taken thereon?

## 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 delineated certain areas of Western Ghats spread over six States (i) Kerala (ii) Tamil Nadu (iii) Goa (iv) Karnataka (v) Maharasthra and (vi) Gujarat as Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA).

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  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.

To  provide  immediate  protection  to  the  ESA  of  the  Western  Ghats,  in  line  with  the recommendation  of  HLWG,  the  Government  issued  Directions  under  Section  5  of  the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 on 13.11.2013. As per the Directions, the five categories of  new  and/or  expansion  projects/activities  having  maximum  interventionist  impact  on ecosystems 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 are prohibited in the ESA of Western Ghats.

The  Ministry  has  received  the  revised  recommendation  from  the  State  of  Kerala  on demarcation of ESA in the Western Ghats region of the State. It has proposed an ESA of 8656.46  square  kilometres  in  the  92  villages.  Besides,  a  number  of  States  are  required  to submit  their  final  recommendations  or  maps  and  there  is  need  to  develop  coherent  and consistent approach in the matter. This may require some more time and exercise may not be completed within the validity period of the draft notification dated 27.02.2017, necessitating republication of draft. The finalization of draft notification is subject to the final views of the State Governments.

Government has taken into account  the difficulties  faced  by  public from  time to  time  and taken steps to address the issue.

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