Karnataka rejects draft notification on ecologically sensitive areas in Western Ghats

Bengaluru: Karnataka on Thursday, May 21 said Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar has agreed to hold discussions with the states individually regarding the implementation of K Kasturirangan committee report on the Western Ghats.

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa today participated in the video conference held by Javadekar on the implementation of the report and discussed the draft notification on ecologically sensitive areas in the ghats.

“The Chief Minister, expressing the state’s opinion, said gram panchayats, taluk panchayats, Zilla panchayats, elected representatives and the Cabinet has rejected the draft notification of ecologically sensitive areas according to Kasturirangan committee report in its present format,” the CMO in a statement said.

Since every state has different problems and challenges, it is not for the central government to issue an identical notification for all states, the Chief Minister explained, it said, adding that Javadekar expressed his consent on the matter and said that, he would discuss the issue with the states individually.

The Kasturirangan Committee had suggested declaring 1,592 villages along the Western Ghats as ecologically sensitive areas, which would heighten conservation measures there, and according to the government this would put restrictions on developmental activities in these villages.

Karnataka forest minister Anand Singh, Chief Secretary T M Vijaya Bhaskar, also Chief Minister, Ministers, Senior officials of Maharashtra, Kerala, Goa, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat participated in the video conference.