ESA for Western Ghats: Why conservation is key, Pg9

Key Highlights:

• The Western Ghats, a 1,500-km mountain chain, is a significant natural ecosystem and a biodiversity hotspot in India.
• A special legal protection regime for the Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) has been delayed due to objections from six states.
• The Madhav Gadgil Committee and later the K Kasturirangan Committee proposed different extents and restrictions for the ESA.
• The K Kasturirangan Committee recommended 60,000 sq km as ESA, proposing bans on mining, quarrying, and polluting industries.
• The Centre's latest draft notification, issued July 31, 2024, demarcates 56,825 sq km as ESA and allows for phased, state-wise finalization.

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Detailed Insights:

• The Madhav Gadgil Committee recommended designating the entire 1,29,037 sq km as ESA with extensive cross-sectoral restrictions.
• The K Kasturirangan Committee identified 60% of the Western Ghats as "cultural landscape" and 40% (60,000 sq km) as "natural landscape" for ESA notification.
• Prohibited activities in the proposed ESA include mining, quarrying, red category polluting industries, thermal power plants, and large constructions.
• The Western Ghats are one of the eight "hottest hotspots" of biological diversity, home to numerous endemic species of flora and fauna.
• State governments, particularly Kerala, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, have sought significant reductions in the proposed ESA area due to concerns over economic activities.
• An expert committee, formed in 2022 under Sanjay Kumar, is working to resolve state objections and reconcile village-level data.
• The Kasturirangan Committee also suggested financial incentives and grant-in-aid from the Centre for states protecting the Western Ghats.
• The Western Ghats influence the monsoon, nurture major rivers like Godavari, Krishna, and Cauvery, and support cash crop cultivation.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA): Areas notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change around Protected Areas to regulate activities.
• Biodiversity Hotspot: A biogeographic region with a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under threat from human activities.
• Ground Truthing: The process of verifying information collected remotely, such as satellite imagery, by physically visiting the site.