Bhupender Yadav: New panel's report awaited to earmark eco-sensitive areas in W. Ghats

New Delhi, Dec 7 (PTI) The government is awaiting a report from the newly constituted panel tasked to finalise the draft notification to officially earmark the eco-sensitive areas (ESA) in Western Ghats, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

The environment ministry, based on the Kasturirangan committee report, had in 2014 published a draft notification identifying the ESAs and suggested measures for its protection.

Due to objections from several states, a new panel was set up 12 years after the Madhav Gadgil committee, and a decade after the K Kasturirangan Committee submitted their respective reports.

The new panel was to submit the report last year but has sought more time.

Responding to several queries on this issue during the Question Hour in the Upper House, Yadav said, "One more committee headed by former Director General of Forest Sanjay Kumar was formed to address the ground-level problems faced after the issuance of the (earlier) draft notification. I believe the committee is working in a satisfactory way." "We are waiting for the committee's report on their assessment of the ground situation," he added.

The minister said conserving the Western Ghats is important for the country's ecology. It is spread across 16,000 sq km across six states -- Gujarat, Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It has more than 4,000 plant varieties comprising 27 per cent of the country's total plant varieties.

He said the 2014 draft notification was issued after the Gadgil and Kasturirangan reports. However, a new panel was set up after concerns and several representations from MPs, including from Kerala.

Land use, mining, water resources and other human activities have led to soil erosion in the Western Ghats. However, the government is implementing several measures, including afforestation, to protect the ESAs, Yadav said.

The environment minister added that at the recent COP28 meet, India initiated the 'Green Fund' at the global level and listed out areas where it can start green initiatives. PTI