Preservation of Eastern, Western Ghats

Key Facts

• A public interest litigation petition has been filed in the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the Centre and State government to constitute a permanent body for taking serious steps to safeguard the flora, fauna and other natural resources in the Eastern and Western Ghat areas in Tamil Nadu.
• The petition is based on the recommendations made by the Madhav Gadgil and Kasturi Rangan committees.

What’s the issue? Why there is a need for protection?

• Petitioner contended that the natural resources abundantly available in this area are being properly utilized by other regions, except Tamil Nadu. They are being misutilised and mismanaged not only by the administrators but also by the public at large.
• Besides, large-scale plantations of coffee, tea and orchards have been raised in the hills of Western Ghats. Aromatic and valuable trees like sandals are removed illegally. Despite the Wildlife Protection Act, hunting takes place in some pockets. The forests are getting degraded because of the illicit collection of firewood, illicit grazing and illicit felling of trees.

What did the Gadgil Committee say?

• It defined the boundaries of the Western Ghats for the purposes of ecological management.
• It proposed that this entire area be designated as an ecologically sensitive area (ESA).
• Within this area, smaller regions were to be identified as ecologically sensitive zones (ESZ) I, II or III based on their existing condition and nature of the threat.
• It proposed to divide the area into about 2,200 grids, of which 75 percent would fall under ESZ I or II or under already existing protected areas such as wildlife sanctuaries or natural parks.
• The committee proposed a Western Ghats Ecology Authority to regulate these activities in the area.

Recommendations of the Kasturirangan Committee:

• A ban on mining, quarrying and sand mining.
• No new thermal power projects, but hydropower projects allowed with restrictions.
• A ban on new polluting industries.
• Building and construction projects up to 20,000 sq m were to be allowed but townships were to be banned.
• Forest diversion could be allowed with extra safeguards.

Importance of western ghats:

• The Western Ghats is an extensive region spanning over six States. It is the home of many endangered plants and animals. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• It is one of the eight “hottest hot-spots” of biological diversity in the world.
• According to UNESCO, the Western Ghats are older than the Himalayas. They influence Indian monsoon weather patterns by intercepting the rain-laden monsoon winds that sweep in from the south-west during late summer.

Eastern Ghats:

• The Eastern Ghats run from northern Odisha through Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south passing some parts of Karnataka.
• They are eroded and cut through by four major rivers of peninsular India, viz. Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna, and Kaveri.

Source: The Hindu