Kasturirangan Report

MUHAMMED DILSHAD.P.A ENV ENG

SES,CUSAT

• High Level Working Group presents report on Western Ghats to Ministry of Environment and Forest(MoEF)

• Working Group is headed by Dr. K. Kasturirangan(Member, Planning Commission) and includes environmental experts and other professionals as its members.

• Working Group was constituted to advise the Government on the recommendations of an earlier report – that of the eminent ecologist Madhav Gadgil-led Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP).

• recommended that the entire Western Ghats should be declared as an ecologically sensitive area.

• High Level Working Group (HLWG) to examine the large numbers of public responses received to the recommendations of the Gadgil report and to suggest the way ahead.

• Dr K Kasturirangan says “The message of this report is serious, alarming and urgent. It is imperative that we protect, manage and regenerate the lands now remaining in the Western Ghats as biologically rich, diverse, natural landscapes. We have reached a threshold from which we cannot slip further. This has to be the objective of future planning and regulation in this recognized centre of biodiversity in our country”.

• HLWG draws upon the basic framework suggested by WGEEP to use remote sensing technologies to demarcate the ESA of the Western Ghats but with two key differences

1. it used satellite data, down to 24 m resolution, as against 9 km used by WGEEP

2. it distinguishes between the cultural and the natural landscape of the region. Using remote sensing technology

• recommendations to “incentivize green growth in the Western Ghats”

• managing forests and improving their productivity to ensure inclusive growth and economic benefits for local communities

• integrating forest accounts into state and national economic assessments

• initiating an ecosystem service fund to help villages around the forests

• promoting sustainable agriculture and encouraging ecotourism for local benefits.

Kasturirangan Report

• Western Ghats is a magnificent mountain range next only to Himalayas and is a biological treasure trove with a high degree of endemism (11% to 78%) and scenic beauty.

• Out of the estimated 1,64,280 km2 of the Western-Ghats area, the natural landscape constitutes only 41 per cent. The area identified as ecologically sensitive is about 37 per cent i.e., about 90 % of the natural landscape.

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTION PLAN

1.Delineation and demarcation of ecologically sensitive area in Western Ghats region

• The delimited area of 188 talukas in 6 States of Western Ghats has been designated as Western Ghats Region

• spreads over an area of 1,64,280 km2• 6 states as Western Ghats Region

• About 60,000 km2 of natural landscape (approximately 37% of the total geographical area of Western Ghats Region) has been identified as Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA)

• includes Protected Areas and World Heritage Site

• MoEF should put the ESA map in the public domain, which will enable scrutiny and transparency in decisions.

2.Development Restrictions in proposed Ecologically sensitive areas

• HLWG is recommending a prohibitory and regulatory regime in ESA for those activities with maximum interventionist and destructive impact on the ecosystem

• There should be a complete ban on mining, quarrying and sand mining in ESA.

• No thermal power projects should be allowed in ESA.

• HLWG recommends that wind energy should be included in EIA notification and brought under purview of assessment and clearance

• All ‘Red’ category industries should be strictly banned, But all efforts should be made to promote industries with low environmental impacts.

• Building and construction projects of 20,000 m2 and above should not be allowed

• All other infrastructure and development projects/schemes should be subject to environment clearance under Category ‘A’ projects under EIA Notification 2006.

3.Financial arrangements and Incentivising Green Growth in Western Ghats region

• HLWG has recommended policies to incentivize environmentally sound growth across the Western Ghats.

• Western Ghats States should come together to negotiate for a grant-in aid from the Centre

• HLWG recommends that there should be arrangements for Payments for Ecosystem Services accruing from ESA and non-ESA regions within the Western Ghats

• The Planning Commission should create a special Western Ghats Sustainable Development Fund

• promote sustainable tourism4.Decision Support and Monitoring Centre for

Western Ghats

5.Climate change and Western Ghats

5.Specific cases referred to HLWG• During 2011, MoEF referred four specific cases to the

Western Ghats Panel for its observations• Athirappilly hydropower project in Western Ghats of

Kerala• Gundya hydropower project in Western Ghats of

Karnataka• Moratorium on development projects in Ratnagiri

and Sindhudurg District;• Mining in Goa

Athirappilly Hydropower Project• (KSEB) proposed a hydroelectric dam across

Chalakudy River to generate 163 MW of power to augment energy requirement of the State and also to provide water for drinking and irrigation.

• uncertainty about ecological flow available in the riverine stretch

• dam at a short distance upstream of the proposed project

KERALA thaluka TalukaArea(km2) ESA No. of Villages with ESA

Ernakulam Kothamangalam Kunnathunad Muvattupuzha

316 476449

1

Idukki Devikulam Peerumade Thodupuzha Udumbanchola

1,8081,3108881,094

1,8081,1464261,094

128423

Kannur TaliparambaThalassery

1,3291,212 304 3

Kasaragod Hosdurg 976

Kollam Kottarakkara Kunnathur Pathanapuram

5711431,271

942 8

Kottayam Kanjirappally Meenachil

429689

51106

13

Kozhikode Kozhikode Quilandy 745 170 2Vadakara

1,031745580

234170112

522

Malappuram Ernad Nilambur Perinthalmanna Tirur

8161138511418

1012 10

Palakkad Alathur Chittur Mannarkad Palakkad

57811701226726

66648857272

1373

Pathanamthitta Adoor KozhencheryRanni

3369581097

616924

24

Thiruvananthapuram Nedumangad Neyyattinkara

957585

457165

43

Thrissur Kodungallur Mukundapuram

1501326 708 1

Wayanad Mananthavady Sulthanbathery Vythiri

749770619

364301287

427

TOTAL 29,693 13,108 123

ESA kerala

Kasturirangan Report after 4 march 2014

• The boundary of the ESA as identified by the HLWG may be fine tuned after receiving inputs from state governments and that the governments may suggest modification based upon physical verification

• State government of Kerala has informed that they had set up a expert committee (KSBB)to study recommendations and to asses ground level information

• 123 villages falling within the ESA as identified by HLWG for for undertaking on-the-spot field verification. And forward back report to MoEF