Lok Sabha Question No. 8 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-06-21
Subject: Ecologically Sensitive Areas of Western Ghats
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Anto  Antony

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION N0. 8

TO BE ANSWERED ON  21.06.2019

## Ecologically Sensitive Areas of Western Ghats

## 8.    SHRI ANTO ANTONY:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  issued  final  notification  on  recommendations  of  Dr. Kasturirangan Report on Western Ghats;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with its major recommendations;
- (c) whether  the Government  has  taken  into  consideration viewpoints  of all State Governments concerned in this regard and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  there is a reduction in Ecologically Sensitive Areas  (ESAs)  in  final notification as recommended by Dr. Kasturirangan Report; and
- (e) if so, the details there of, State/UT wise?

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

(a) No Sir,

(b)The High Level Working Group (HLWG) headed by Shri Kasturirangan, had delineated a contiguous Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) of 59,940 sq. km in the  Western Ghats region spread over six States- (i) Kerala (ii) Tamil Nadu (iii) Karnataka (iv) Goa (v) Maharashtra and (vi)  Gujarat  and  recommended  specific  measures  for  conservation.  It  has  recommended prohibition  or  regulation  of  identified  projects  and  activities  in  the  ESA,  which  have interventionist  and  destructive  impacts  on  natural  ecosystems.  This  Ministry  in  principle accepted the HLWG report and  issued directions under Section 5 of Environment(Protection) Act, 1986 vide Order dated 13.11.2013 to respective State Governments of the Western Ghats regions to prohibit five categories of new and/or expansion projects/activities in 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.

(c)  to  (d)  Before  notifying  the  Ecologically  Sensitive  Areas  (ESA)  in  the  Western  Ghats region,  this  Ministry  had  invited  suggestions  from  all  the  six  State  Governments  of  the Western Ghats region for modification of boundary of the ESAs, identified by the HLWG. The Government of Kerala undertook the exercise of physically demarcating ESA in the state through Panchyat Level Committees and with interaction with various stakeholders recommended  reduction  of  ESA  area  from  13108  sq.  Km.  to  9993.70  sq.  km.  The  Draft

Notification, S.O. 733 (E) dated 10.03.2014 with an ESA area of 56825 sq. km. was issued after incorporating the recommendation of the Government of Kerala.

Consequently, after addressing the concerns/ apprehensions expressed by various stakeholders from time to time the Draft Notification declaring ESA of the  Western  Ghats has been  republished on 04.09.2015 and 27.02.2017 and 03.10.2018 with the same ESA area ie   56825 sq. Km.

- (e) The state wise area included in the ESA is as follows:

- I. Gujarat: 449 sq. Km.;

- II. Goa: 1,461 sq. Km.;

- III. Maharashtra: 17,340 sq. Km.;

- IV. Karnataka: 20,668 sq. Km.;

- V. Tamil Nadu: 6914 sq. Km.;

- VI. Kerala: 9993.7 sq. Km.;

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