Lok Sabha Question No. 71 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-06-21
Subject: Eco-Sensitive Area
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Asaduddin Owaisi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION N0. 71

TO BE ANSWERED ON  21.06.2019

## Eco-Sensitive Area

## 71.    SHRI ASADUDDIN OWAISI, M.P.:

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

- (a) whether the process for earmarking Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA) of Western Ghat has started  in  the  year  2011  and  the  Union  Government issued first draft notification in 2014, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether since  then  notification  was  issued  afresh  several  times  and  fourth  one  was issued recently to bring the concerned States on board;
- (c) if so, the details thereof along with the main demand of the individual States;
- (d) whether even a high level working group failed to bring unanimous decision in this regard and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether the Government has started the process in this regard afresh; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof and time by which a final decision is likely to be arrived at in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

- (a) The process to conserve and protect the Western Ghats was started in the year 2010 with  the  setting  of  Western  Ghats  Ecology  Expert  Panel  (WGEEP)  and  followed  by  the constitution  of  High  Level  Working  Group  (HLWG)  in  the  year  2012.      The  Ministry  of Environment,  Forest  &  Climate  Change  (MoEFCC)  had  issued  first  draft  notification vide S.O. 733 (E) dated 10.02.2014, with an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) of 56,825 square kilometres, in the States of Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
- (b)  &(c)  Yes  Sir,  the  draft  Notification  S.O.  733  (E)  dated  10.02.2014  was  subsequently republished thrice, vide S.O. 2435 (E) dated 04.09.2015; S.O. 667 (E) dated 27.02.2017 and S.O. 5135 (E) dated 03.10.2018.  In general, the demand from the states is to reduce/alter the ESA area as recommended by the HLWG.
- (d) to (f)  Based on the recommendation of the HLWG, MoEF & CC has issued directions under  Section  5  of  Environment  (Protection)  Act,  1986  vide  Order  dated  13.11.2013  and prohibited five activities having interventionist and  destructive impacts  on  natural ecosystems of the ESA of the Western Ghats, namely  (i) Mining, quarrying and sand mining (ii) Thermal Power Plants (iii) Building and construction projects of 20,000 square meter area and above (iv) Township and area development projects with an area of 50 hectare and above and/or with built up area of 1,50,000 square meter and above   (v) Red category of industries.

In  order  to  follow a  coherent  and  consistent  approach in notifying the ESA of the Western Ghats, Ministry is working for  the last several years, it had interactions with all the States of Western Ghats region at various levels on 15 th January 2016; 9 th to 11 th February 2016; 11 th August, 2016 and  11 th April 2018. Considering the validity of the latest draft Notification as 31 st March,  2019,  fresh  discussion  to  finalise  the  Notification  to  declare  the  ESA  of  the Western  Ghats  has  already  been  initiated  with  the  states  and  a  meeting  was  held  on  15 th February, 2019.

***