The recent devastating landslides in Kerala’s ecologically fragile Wayanad region have left more than 380 people dead and many more missing. Union Environment Minister Bupendra Yadav on Monday said the Kerala government allowed “illegal mining and uncontrolled construction and human habitation” in the state’s ecologically sensitive region.
Neglecting Crucial Environmental Factors
The Union Environment Minister criticised the Kerala government for neglecting crucial environmental factors such as soil topography, rock conditions, geomorphology, slopes and vegetation structure while allowing human habitation.
Yadav said that apart from giving in-principle approval to a road project involving the construction of twin tunnels near Meppadi, where the disaster occurred, the environment ministry has not given any permission to any project in the area in the last decade.
Eco-Sensitive Region
Once an area is flagged as an ESA, that land is barred from all environmentally hazardous activities. The entire Western Ghats spans six states, including Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat.
A recent study by experts from the Indian Institute of Science has divided the 1.6 lakh sq km Western Ghats into four ecologically sensitive areas. Promoting sustainable land management practices such as afforestation, controlled deforestation and sustainable agriculture is essential to maintain the stability of the hills and reduce soil erosion, thereby mitigating the impact of heavy rains.
Draft Notification
He said the government has been in the process of finalising the draft notification since March 2014, which was set up under the chairmanship of former Director General of Forests Sanjay Kumar to declare over 56,800 sq km of the Western Ghats, including 13 landslide-affected villages in Kerala and Wayanad, spread across six states, as ecologically sensitive areas, inviting suggestions and objections within 60 days.
The government’s five-member committee is actively holding discussions with all states to establish consensus and plans to present its report to the government by September.
Gadgil Committee
The Madhav Gadgil committee in 2011 also proposed conservation and precautionary actions for the Western Ghats.
The Gadgil committee suggested that 64 percent of the Western Ghats should be classified as eco-sensitive areas, while the Dr. Kasturirangan committee reduced this to 37 percent. The 2011 Madhav Gadgil committee report on the ecology of the Western Ghats proposed that the entire region should be classified as eco-sensitive areas, with very limited development permitted in specific areas.
State’s response to Union Minister
The response from the state to the Union Minister Kerala’s forest minister AK Saseendran criticized Yadav’s remarks, stating that it was inappropriate to point fingers at each other during this time. “To attribute this disaster to Kerala’s actions suggests that there might be a plan by the Centre to withhold the necessary financial aid to the state. Kerala has unitedly called for the declaration of this disaster as a ‘national disaster’. The stance of the Union Environment Minister not to assist the state at this moment is perceived as unfair to the citizens of the state. To address the issues arising from this significant disaster, the assistance of the Centre is crucial,” he emphasised.
