Centre Reissues Draft Notification on Western Ghats Eco-Sensitive Area
Context
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has reissued the draft notification for declaring an Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA) in the Western Ghats for the seventh time. The draft invites fresh public feedback amid continuing disagreements with six States over the extent of the proposed ESA and restrictions on developmental activities.
Key Highlights
- The Centre has proposed an Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA) covering nearly 56,825 sq. km. across six States in the Western Ghats to safeguard one of the world’s richest biodiversity regions while regulating environmentally damaging activities.
- The draft notification proposes restrictions on activities such as mining, quarrying, thermal power projects, and highly polluting industries, while allowing regulated development and sustainable livelihood activities.
- States including Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat have expressed concerns over the possible impact of the ESA notification on agriculture, infrastructure projects, human settlements, and local economic activities.
- The revised proposal broadly retains the previously proposed ESA boundaries despite several rounds of consultations, reflecting the Centre’s effort to strike a balance between ecological conservation and developmental priorities.
Key Concepts
- The Western Ghats are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world’s eight “hottest hotspots” of biodiversity. They harbour a large number of endemic species and serve as the origin of several major peninsular rivers.
- Eco-Sensitive Areas (ESAs) are ecologically fragile regions notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, where certain developmental and industrial activities are regulated to minimise environmental degradation.
- The Madhav Gadgil Committee (Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, 2011) recommended extensive ecological protection across the Western Ghats through graded conservation zones based on ecological sensitivity.
- The K. Kasturirangan Committee (2013) suggested a more balanced approach by reducing the notified ESA extent while permitting sustainable development in inhabited and cultivated landscapes.
- The Precautionary Principle and the Principle of Sustainable Development, recognised in Indian environmental jurisprudence, require developmental activities to be planned in a manner that prevents irreversible ecological damage.
Way Forward
- Build greater consensus with the States through scientific mapping and continuous stakeholder consultations.
- Encourage active participation of local communities in conservation and decision-making.
- Promote sustainable livelihood opportunities compatible with ecological conservation.
- Ensure that environmental protection and developmental needs are balanced through evidence-based policymaking and effective implementation.