Lok Sabha Question No. 155 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-11-25
Subject: Final Notification on Western Ghats
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Adv. Adoor Prakash, Adv Dean Kuriakose, Shri V K Sreekandan, Shri Anto Antony

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION N0. 155

TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.11.2024

## Final Notification on Western Ghats

155.     ADV. ADOOR PRAKASH: SHRI V K SREEKANDAN: SHRI ANTO ANTONY: ADV DEAN KURIAKOSE:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  released  a  draft  notification  classifying  parts  of  the Western Ghats in six States as Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA);
- (b) whether it is true that all affected States have objected to specific places that have been included in the ESA regions, if so, the details of the objections raised by the concerned States, State-wise;
- (c) the details of the steps taken by the Government on the recommendation of the newly appointed committee to re-examine the suggestions raised by the States in a holistic manner, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the  Government has received suggestions/representations from  the  States including  Kerala  for  exclusion  of  villages  demarcated  as  ESA  on  Western  Ghats Conservation  report  after  the  last  iteration  of  draft  notification,  if  so,  the  details thereof and the response of the Government thereto, State wise;
- (e) whether the Government has deputed a central team to Goa as per the request of that State Government, if so, the details thereof including the recommendations of the team and the action taken by the Government in this regard;
- (f) whether the Government has taken any decision about the final notification on the Dr. Kasturirangan panel report relating to the conservation of Western Ghats, if so, the  details  thereof,  if  not,  the  reasons  therefor  and  the  time  by  which  the  final notification is likely to be issued; and
- (g) whether the Government has considered separate final notification for States, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a)  & (b) In order to protect  the rich biodiversity of the Western Ghats, this Ministry has issued draft Notification on Ecologically Sensitive Area of Western Ghats, vide S.O. 3060(E) dated 31.07.2024 with an area of 56,825 square kilometer, spread across six States, namely, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, based on the report submitted by the High Level Working Group (HLWG).

(c)  to  (g)  Further,  in  order  to  address  the  issues  raised  by  the  stakeholders  including  the respective  State  Governments  while  finalizing  the  draft  notification,  the  Ministry  has constituted  a  Committee  to  examine  the  suggestions  received  in  this  regard  in  a  holistic manner, keeping in view the conservation aspects of the disaster prone pristine ecosystem, and the rights, privileges, needs and developmental aspirations of the region.

The Government of Kerala has submitted a revised proposal on 02.11.2024, requesting for declaring 98 villages spread across 29 talukas in 12 districts as Ecologically Sensitive Area based  on  the  verification  of  the  suggestions  received  from  the  Local  Self  Government Department. The committee undertakes visits of States from time to time including Goa to give its  recommendations.  The  concerned  stakeholders  including  State  Governments  give  their suggestions/recommendations on the draft notification which are examined by the Committee on merit before submitting its recommendations.

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