Lok Sabha Debates
Need To Review Dr. K. Kasturirangan Report On Western Ghats. on 21 April, 2015
Sixteenth Loksabha an> Tilte: Need to review Dr. K. Kasturirangan Report on Western Ghats.
ADV. JOICE GEORGE (IDUKKI): The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on 13th November 2013 notified 4156 villages across Western Ghats as Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA) with certain restrictions. On the basis of the report of the high level working group headed by Dr K.Kasthurirangan on Western Ghats in Kerala, 123 villages are notified, which are human dominated urban and agricultural landscapes. The government of Kerala appointed an expert panel chaired by Dr. Ommen V. Ommen. The MoEF published draft notifications under the Environment Protection act incorporating the recommendations of state of Kerala. Due to the pendency of the notification issued under section 5 of the EP act and draft notifications, the agrarian people are facing a lot of problems including indebtedness. Hence, I urge upon the government to drop all proceeding on the basis of Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel and high level working group on Western Ghats, both are unscientific as told by the minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change on the floor of the house and have a fresh initiative with the involvement of the people.