Why a draft notification on Western Ghats could be a political hot potato in Karnataka

It could particularly affect the people in the 142 taluks of 44 districts in the six states that come under the purview of Western Ghats in the country. Karnataka is more concerned of the six states, as many of its developmental projects are located in the Western Ghats area.

Choube had stated that the government had asked the high-power committee headed by former director general of forests, Sanjay Kumar, “to hear out grievances of the stakeholders over the draft notification, which is based on recommendations of the Kasturirangan Committee report”.

The deadline for the Sanjay Kumar Committee to submit its report has therefore been extended to June 20, 2024. This has come as a breather for the state governments to continue to allow activities of rock quarrying, mining and setting up new industries for one more year.

The history: Gadgil and Kasturirangan Committees

In its move to protect and conserve the Western Ghats, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) had constituted two committees – the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) headed by Prof Madhav Gadgil and the High Level Working Group (HLWG) headed by Dr K Kasturirangan to review the recommendations of the WGEEP.

On the basis of the Kasturirangan Committee report, the MoEF&CC brought out a first draft notification way back on March 10, 2014, declaring biologically and culturally diverse areas as eco-sensitive areas, requiring conservation. Due to multiple objections from different quarters, the issue has dragged on and the onus has now shifted to the Sanjay Kumar committee.

Karnataka with largest ESZ area

Though the ministry has extended its deadline by one year to finalise the draft notification, which will officially earmark Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZ) of the Western Ghats in six states, this development is still worrying 1,572 villages that come under ESZ in Karnataka. According to the final draft notification, of the six states, Karnataka has the lion’s share of ESZ area with 20,668 sq km.

The draft notification on the (ESZ) in the Western Ghats, issued by the MoEF&CC, now hangs like a Damocles sword over the heads of the two national parties – the Congress and BJP in Karnataka even as both the parties are gearing up for the 2024 general elections.

The two national parties faced a similar situation last year also when MoEF&CC decided to notify the draft finalising 46,832 sq km area as ESZ along with Western Ghats in six states, including Karnataka.

Faux pas and U-turn

While Karnataka walks a tightrope on the draft notification issue, a recent faux pas made by forest minister Eshwar Khandre over Karnataka government’s stand on the contentious Kasturirangan committee report, which is the basis for the draft notification on the ESZ in the Western Ghats, invited fresh trouble for the ruling Congress.

Khandre had said that the state government was committed to implementing the Kasturirangan Committee report on preservation and protection of the Western Ghats and its biosphere in consultation with neighbouring states and the Centre.

Participating in the inaugural ceremony of the Inter-species hosted by Atria University, Khandre said, “Karnataka, in consultation with five other states and the Central government, will implement the Kasturirangan Committee report. The report has been languishing for the past 10 years and before that Gadgil Committee also faced a similar fate.”

Khandre also said that the high-power committee headed by Sanjay Kumar is expected to submit a report to the MoEF&CC by December and the government will further deliberate based on the report. “When the members of the Sanjay Kumar Committee met me recently, I requested them to visit 10 districts in the Western Ghats and consult the stakeholders and understand their concerns before finalising the draft report. He further added, “We want to protect the environment and people in the Western Ghats are doing so since ages. The government’s stand is that people should not face any problem,” he said.

However, a few days later, Khandre did a ‘U-turn’and said the state government will not take any "hasty action" in this matter. Yet, people in remote areas of Western Ghats continue to anxious about their future. Meanwhile, the Opposition party in the state, the BJP, is trying to cash in on the uncertainty and the anxiety among villagers by pitting them against the Congress party and the government.

Validity of draft notification

However, the ministry’s extension of the deadline for Sanjay Kumar Committee hascame as a breather to all the six states, especially, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, where non-BJP parties are in power.

In a July 31, 2023 release, MoEF&CC said “considering the views and concerns of the respective state governments and addressing the concerns and apprehensions of public/stakeholders, the draft of Western Ghats ESZ was re-notified for the fifth time on July 6, 2022 and a committee has also been specifically constituted to assist in consultation with the state governments for finalising the notification”.

Development vs ecological concerns

Last year, when the Union government decided to notify the draft, the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government in Karnataka, which feared the adverse impact on the party, opposed the draft tooth and nail. The BJP government argued that notifying the draft would affect the livelihood of the people in the region.

But, the environmentalists criticised the government’s stand arguing that rejecting the draft will be disastrous for the biodiversity of the Western Ghats. Interestingly, leaders of political parties cutting across party lines opposed the report understanding the danger of antagonising the electorates in 1,572 villages, which is spread out across 10 districts in Karnataka, including Uttara Kannada, Chamarajanagar, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Belagavi, Mysuru, Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Hassan.

BJP bastions

The reason the local BJP unit opposes the draft notification is that the affected areas like Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru, Belagavi, Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts are BJP bastions. Moreover, Shivamogga, Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu and Udupi have recently become alleged ‘laboratory’ for the Hindutva movement. Legislators representing these constituencies face a major dilemma – neither do they want to oppose and antagonise the party high command in the Centre. But at the same time, they face the onerous task of trying to convince the villagers, who will be affected by the draft.

Politics of development

Nevertheless, the former BJP government appealed to the high command and the government at the Centre explaining the impact of the notification on the Assembly polls. The BJP government also knew the draft will sound the death knell for development projects such as Hubballi-Ankola Railway Line, Mekedatu, Yettinahole and other water sensitive projects.

Another factor that troubles political parties is that after notifying 37 per cent of the Western Ghats (covering an area of 59,940 sq km) as ESZ; there will be a blanket ban on mining, quarrying and sand mining, while existing mines will be phased out in the next five years. There will be regulations on construction and setting up of townships.

Environment concerns

Meanwhile, environmentalists are arguing that successive governments have completely forgotten the recent landslides in Belur, Mudigere, Chikkamagaluru and Madikeri. The unprecedented landslides had occurred because of slew of irrational projects taken up in the Western Ghats, which included Yettinahole.

Rampant deforestation in the Western Ghats is the main reason for the recent landslides in Shiradi and Charmadi Ghats. According to environmentalists, farmers or tribal communities are not opposing the draft notification; it is the owners of private resorts, homestays and timber lobbyists who are instigating villagers to oppose the draft.

According to Kishore Kumar, an environmentalist, people in the villages that come under the Western Ghats region in Karnataka are confused about Khandre’s stand which seems to be wavering. According to reports, farmers, growers and BJP leaders are trying to hold gram panchayat level meetings in various villages, especially in Kodagu region.

BJP tries to regain foothold

Khandre’s alleged ambiguous stand provided a much-needed ammunition for BJP, which failed to retain its stronghold Malnad districts of Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru. Two first-time Congress candidates A S Ponnanna (Virajpet) and Mantar Gowda (Madikeri ended the BJP’s 20-year run in Kodagu, while in Chikkamagaluru, the saffron party lost five seats to Congress.

The Congress government, which is aiming for winning 20 Lok Sabha seats in the coming polls, is bound to face problems, in case villagers launch an agitation against the government if they decide to accept the Kasturirangan committee report.