Lok Sabha Question No. 578 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-20
Subject: Protection of Western Ghats
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: SAUGATA ROY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION N0. 578

TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.07.2018

## Protection of Western Ghats

## 578.    PROF. SAUGATA ROY:

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

- (a) the steps taken so far to preserve and protect Western Ghats of the country;
- (b) the hurdles in implementing Kasturirangan/Madhav Gadgil reports in this regard;
- (c) whether any State Government has objected against those reports and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  noticed  that  some  State  Governments  are  distributing Ecologically Fragile lands to tenants; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and the action taken to evict the un-authorized occupants of eco-sensitive lands of the country?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c) To preserve and protect Western Ghats, this Ministry had set up the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) under the Chairmanship of Prof. Madhav Gadgil for recommending  measures  for  the  conservation  and  environmental  integrity  of  the  Western Ghats to promote sustainable development of the region. The committee submitted its report to this Ministry with its recommendations.

Considering large scale objections to the report submitted by WGEEP, a High Level Working Group  (HLWG)  under  the  Chairmanship  of  Dr.  K.  Kasturirangan  was  constituted  by  this Ministry to examine the WGEEP Report in a holistic manner and recommend measures for the protection of the Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA) of Western Ghats.

Based on the recommendation of HLWG, to provide immediate protection to the ESA of the Western  Ghats,  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.

Further,  this  Ministry  had  issued  a  draft  Notification  on  10.03.2014  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, which was followed  by  subsequent  Draft  Notifications  dated  04.09.2015  and  27.02.2017  for  seeking stakeholders comments,  including those of State  Governments. Some  of  the State Governments  have  sought  revision/modification  of  the  Ecologically  Sensitive  Areas.  The State Government of Karnataka has rejected the recommendation of the HLWG.

(d)  to  (e)  No  case  relating  to  State  Government  distributing  ecologically  fragile  land  to tenants  in  violation  of  norms  is  currently  reported  for  consideration  of  the  Ministry  of Environment, forest and Climate Change.

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