Lok Sabha Question No. 3999 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-19
Subject: Conservation of Western Ghats
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Hibi Eden

## 3999.   SHRI HIBI EDEN:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the assessment report prepared by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on Western Ghats;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  including  plans  to  save/  conserve  the  environment  of  the Western Ghats;
- (c) the current status of the report of Madhav Gadgil, the chairman of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP); and
- (d) the  action  plan  formulated  by  the  Government  to  save  Western  Ghats  from  climate change, intense rain and summer, water and air pollution, tourist activities, deforestation,  hunting,  road  and  rail  projects  inside  forests,  dams,  mine  and  quarry industries, wild fire and other factors that destroy the mountain range?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

(a) and (b): The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has come out with an  assessment  report  on  Western  Ghats,  i.e.  World  Heritage  Outlook  3:  A  conservation assessment  of all natural World  Heritage  sites: Western  Ghats,  wherein  the  2020 Conservation Outlook for Western Ghats is listed as 'Significant Concern'.

The  report  suggests  that  the  Western  Ghats  influence  the  Indian  monsoon  weather patterns.   It  also  suggests  that  until  more data  is  accumulated,  both  on  conservation  trends and  protection and  management  aspects  and  given  the  level  of  threats  it  faces, its conservation  outlook  assessment  is  considered  significant.    Further,  it  suggests  need  to integrate multiple designations into a single management approach, requirement of functional corridors, effective coordination of management across multiple components, integration of tribal communities and their innovative livelihood strategies, enhancing staffing and capacity development of Forest Department, etc.

(c) The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) under the Chairmanship of Prof. Madhav Gadgil mandated for recommending measures for the conservation of the Western Ghats  submitted  its  report  to  the  Ministry  on  31.08.2011.  Subsequently,  the  Ministry constituted  a  High  Level  Working  Group  (HLWG)  under  the  chairmanship  of  Dr.  K. Kasturirangan  on  17.04.2012,  to  inter-alia  examine  the  WGEEP  report  in  a  holistic  and

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3999

TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.03.2021

## Conservation of Western Ghats

multidisciplinary  manner.  The  HLWG  submitted  its  report  to  the  Ministry  on  15.03.2013. The Ministry has in-principle accepted the report of the HLWG.

(d) The  Government  of  India  stands  committed  towards  combating  climate  change through  its  several  programs  and  schemes.  This  includes, inter-alia ,  implementation  of National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).  The NAPCC provides an overarching framework for all climate actions.  Thirty-three States /Union Territories have prepared their State  Action  Plan  on  Climate  Change  (SAPCC)  including  Kerala,  Goa,  Tamil  Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat, where Western Ghats is located.  The Government is also  supporting  adaptation  actions  of  States/UTs  through  National  Adaptation  Fund  for Climate Change (NAFCC). The overall aim of the scheme is to support concrete adaptation activities  which  are  not  covered  under  on-going  activities  under  the  schemes  of  State  and National Government. Further, the Wildlife Division provides technical and funding support to  States/UTs  under  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  -  Development  of  Wildlife  Habitat  for conservation of wildlife in protected areas, outside protected areas and for species recovery programme for 22endangered species. Regarding road and rail projects, Ministry has issued advisory to States/UTs for submission of proposals for diversion within the protected areas and Eco-Sensitive Zones along with animal passage plan prepared on the basis of guidelines prepared by Wildlife Institute of India, namely, Eco-friendly Measures to Mitigate Impacts of Linear Infrastructure on Wildlife.

In  order  to  provide  immediate  protection  to  the  Western  Ghats  and  to  maintain  its environmental integrity, the Ministry 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, namely (a)Mining, quarrying and sand mining, (b) Thermal  Power  Plants,  (c)  Building  and  construction  projects  of  20,000  sq.  m.  area  and above,(d) 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 (e) Red category of industries, which have maximum interventionist and damaging impacts on ecosystems shall not be considered for granting Environmental Clearance in the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA), as identified by the High Level Working Group, in the Western Ghats. On the basis of the Report of the HLWG,  the  MoEF&CC  has  brought  out  draft  Notification  dated  10.03.2014  and  later republished on 03.10.2018, proposing to notify area of 56,825 sq km. of Western Ghats to be declared as Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs) requiring protection and conservation.

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