THE CONTEXT: Recently, a PIL was filed in Supreme Court to issue directions to the Kerala government to not implement the Gadgil committee report as no space is available to displace the population within the state. There are large groups completely dependent on agriculture, and banning the cultivation of several crops will affect their livelihood. Though valid to a certain extent, yet it negates the larger issue of environmental crisis manifested in Kerala flood and such other issues. This raises a paradox on the discourse between Democracy and Ecology. In this context, we will study in detail about the reports of different commissions on conservation and preservation of biodiversity in western ghats and what are the issues in implementing their recommendations.
ABOUT WESTERN GHATS
- The Western Ghats is a mountain range that runs from the western coast of Peninsular India. Older than the Himalaya Mountains, they are also known as Sahyadri.
- A significant characteristic of the Western Ghats is the exceptionally high level of biological diversity and endemism. This mountain chain is recognized as one of the world’s eight ‘hottest hotspots’ of biological diversity along with Sri Lanka.
- It begins near the border of Gujarat and stretches down 1600 km through the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala ,Goa and Tamil Nadu covering around 160,000 km2 of the area.
- It has an exceptionally high level of biological diversity and endemism and is recognized as one of the world’s eight ‘hottest hotspots’ of biological diversity.
- The forests of the site include some of the best representatives of non-equatorial tropical evergreen forests anywhere and are home to at least 325 globally threatened flora, fauna, bird, amphibian, reptile and fish species.
MADHAV GADGIL COMMITTEE REPORT ON THE WESTERN GHATS?
Gadgil Commission, an environmental research commission is named after its chairman Madhav Gadgil. The commission is formally known as Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP). The commission submitted the report to the Government of India on 31 August 2011.
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE GADGIL COMMITTEE
- The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) designated the entire hill range as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA).
- The panel, in its report, has classified the 142 taluks in the Western Ghats boundary into Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZ) 1, 2 and 3.
- ESZ-1 being of high priority, almost all developmental activities (mining, thermal power plants etc) were restricted in it.
- The extent of existing Protected Areas plus ESZ1 will not normally exceed 60% of the total area. And the extent of area covered by existing Protected Areas plus ESZ1 and ESZ2 together will be around 75% and the extent of ESZ3 will normally be around 25% of the total area.
- Gadgil report recommended that “no new dams based on large-scale storage be permitted in Ecologically Sensitive Zone 1. Since both the Athirappilly of Kerala and Gundia of Karnataka hydel project sites fall in Ecologically Sensitive Zone 1, these projects should not be accorded environmental clearance,” it said.
- In Ecologically Sensitive Zone 1 and 2 no new license for mining and No new polluting (red and orange category) industries to be given while in Ecologically Sensitive Zone 3 new mining and setting up of New polluting industries may be taken up only under strict regulation and social audit . Agriculture activities are allowed by phasing out the use of chemical fertilizers in all the three zones.
- Gadgil Committee report specifies that the present system of governance of the environment should be changed. It asked for a bottom to top approach (right from Gram sabhas) rather than a top to bottom approach. It also asked for decentralization and more powers to local authorities.
- The commission recommended the constitution of a Western Ghats Ecology Authority (WGEA), as a statutory authority under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, with the powers under Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
WHAT WAS THE NEED FOR THE KASTURIRANGAN COMMITTEE SUBSEQUENTLY?
- None of the six concerned states accepted the Gadgil committee report.
- In August 2012, a High-Level Working Group on Western Ghats under Kasturirangan was constituted to “examine” the Gadgil Committee report in a “holistic and multidisciplinary fashion in the light of responses received” from various stakeholders.
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE KASTURIRANGAN COMMITTEE
- Instead of the total area of Western Ghats, only 37% (i.e. 60,000 sq. km.) of the total area be brought under ESA under Kasturirangan report.
- A complete ban on mining, quarrying and sand mining in ESA.
- Distinguished between cultural (58% occupied in the Western Ghats by it like human settlements, agricultural fields and plantations) and natural landscape (90% of it should come under ESA according to the committee).
- Current mining areas in the ESA should be phased out within the next five years, or at the time of expiry of mining lease, whichever is earlier.
- No thermal power be allowed, and hydropower projects are allowed only after detailed study.
- Red industries i.e. which are highly polluting be strictly banned in these areas.
- Kasturirangan report on the Western Ghats has made several pro-farmer recommendations, including the exclusion of inhabited regions and plantations from the purview of ecologically sensitive areas (ESAs).
- The Kasturirangan report had said 123 villages fall under the ESA purview.
COMPARISON OF MADHAV GADGIL REPORT AND KASTURIRANGAN REPORT
GADGIL REPORT
- Recommended that the entire stretch of the western ghats should be declared an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA)
- It divided the region into three zones-ESZ1, ESZ2 & ESZ3 and gave a broad outline of certain restrictions for each zone
- It recommended the determination of an area as ESZ1 or ESZ2 or ESZ3 be done at the block/taluka level
- No new polluting industries (red and orange category) were to be permitted in ESZ1&ESZ2.Existing industries were to be phased out by 2016.
KASTURIRANGAN REPORT
- Divided the western ghats into two: natural landscape and cultural landscape
- Of the natural landscape, it picked out merely 37% as “biologically rich” and “with some measure of contiguity”. Any restrictions were only placed in this area
- It proposed the demarcation of ESA be done at the village level
- Only red category industries (heavily polluting such as mining) were completely restricted
WHY STATE GOVERNMENT’S NOT IMPLEMENTING THE REPORT?
BARRIER TO DEVELOPMENT
- The state government believes that implementation of the report will halt the developmental activities in the region.
- Karnataka Government states that it has the distinction of being one of the states with extensive forest cover and the government has taken care to protect the biodiversity of Western Ghats.
GROUND REALITY
- The Kasturirangan report has been prepared based on the satellite images, but the ground reality is different.
- People of the region have adopted agriculture and horticultural activities in an eco-friendly manner.
- Priority has been accorded for environment protection under the Forest Protection Act.
- In this background bringing one more law that would affect the livelihood of the local people is not appropriate.
PEOPLE’S PROTEST
- The political representatives from Uttara Kannada district have always opposed the Kasturirangan report since 600-plus villages will fall under the eco-sensitive area if the report is implemented.
PRESENT STATUS
- While there is a growing concern over the forest encroachments in Karnataka, the state government has planned to further shrink the deemed forest area from 3,30,186.938 hectares to 2 lakh hectares.
REINVENTING DEMOCRACY
Seventy-five years since Independence, it is now acutely clear that we need to rethink this paradigm of development altogether since it has failed to balance economic interests with social costs. This model of development promises equality, but in reality, it privileges corporate interests. Displacement has been one of the major consequences of this process, particularly the displacement of tribals and other marginalised communities.
ISSUES IN THE PESA (PROVISIONS OF THE PANCHAYATS EXTENSION TO SCHEDULED AREAS) ACT, 1996 IN DEMOCRATIC DECENTRALISATION
- Social audits conducted across the state have also pointed out that in reality different developmental schemes were being approved on paper by Gram Sabha, without actually having any meeting for discussion and decision making which results into respond by the localities for eg: “Pathalgarhi movement” by the tribals who basically seeks for autonomy.
ISSUES IN THE FOREST RIGHTS ACT
- The main barriers with regard to implementation relate to the structural conditions, which define the power of the state vs powerlessness of the scheduled tribes and other forest dependent communities.
- The current growth model which is basically top to bottom approach has systematically perpetuated high levels of inequality, which reflects on competing interests over the rich base of natural resources- land, minerals, water and forest. To elaborate more, three significant barriers, which impede the realisation of forest rights.
A clash of ideas: for a brighter future
IMPACT OF THE NON-IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REPORT ON THE WESTERN GHATS
- There have been a lot of evident climatic changes like temperature increase, excess floods, droughts etc. such incidents will further increase.
- Gadgil called on the authorities to take immediate measures to preserve Kerala’s natural environment, especially in the ecologically fragile Western Ghats region. Gadgil also urged the state government to impose a ban on industrial and mining activities in the area and strictly regulate development work but the environmental expert says the government did not pay heed to his recommendations Which results into deadly floods in Kerala.
- The impacts include pollution (noise, air and groundwater), depletion of fisheries, deforestation, siltation of water bodies and loss of unique biodiversity among many others. The report claimed that there are also numerous illegal activities in these areas causing these problems.
THE WAY FORWARD
To eradicate poverty and increase growth in the economy, development is mandatory. Without economic development, a nation cannot come out of the vicious circle of poverty. As our population grows, finding a balance between economic advancement and consumption of natural resources is a vital question that we should address.
- ECO-TOURISM: Eco-tourism is ecologically sustainable tourism with a primary focus on experiencing natural areas that fosters environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation, and conservation. Thus,ecotourism needs to be promoted in western ghats.
- JOINT FOREST MANAGEMENT (JFM): The rationale behind Joint Forest Management (JFM) approach is that the willing and active participation of the Forest Department with the local community is essential for ensuring regeneration, conservation, protection and sustainable use of forest resources. JFM is to be considered as cost-effective approach for the regeneration and conservation of forest apart from meeting the diverse needs of the local communities.
- ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE: Good environmental governance which limits the exploitation of natural resources to sustainable levels.
THE CASE STUDY CONSERVATION BY EXCLUSION- SOLIGAS OF BRT HILLS
BRT hills are a forest covered range in Karnataka to the east of the Nilgiris. It is the traditional homeland of Soliga tribals, who earlier practised hunting-gathering and shifting cultivation. They have protected a large sacred grove, harbouring a magnificent Michelia champaca tree. When this area was declared a Wild Life Sanctuary, Soligas could no longer hunt or practice shifting cultivation. So gathering of honey, medicinal plants and amla became the mainstay of their subsistence. A voluntary organization, Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra, has organized them effectively and helped set up a system of regulated collection, processing and marketing of forest produce. A scientific institution, ATREE, has been engaged in a study of the Soliga forest produce collection practices and their impact on resource stocks. They have come to the conclusion that these practices are entirely sustainable. The Soliga earnings had also improved because of their own processing industry. Most regrettably, the Forest Department has banned all collection of forest produce for marketing, forcing Soligas into destitution.
THE CONCLUSION: There is a need to find solutions to the problem of power shortage, paucity of drinking water, poverty and unemployment, without forgetting the fact that ecological biodiversity needs to be recognized as an integral part of the human and cultural landscape as well as the natural one. Everyone agrees that one must strike a fine balance between conservation, preservation and development and ensure that they can go hand in hand; but this is easier said than done.
QUESTION FOR MAINS EXAMINATION:
Q1.Explain the significance of western ghats for India. Suggest some innovative ways to conserve the biodiversity of the region.
Q2.Is it possible to strike a balance between developmental imperatives of a growing economy like India and the limits to growth imposed by environmental degradation? Critically analyse.
