BENGALURU: The Western Ghats (WG) Conservation Task Force Committee has proposed a national policy for the conservation of the UNESCO World Heritage landscape in Karnataka and other states.
The committee penned a letter to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, government of Karnataka and states through which the Ghats spread across 1600km -- Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat. However, about 75% of the mountain mass is in Karnataka.
Experts working on the protection of the Sahyadri range have repeatedly pointed to fragmentation of the landscape, not just because of mega linear projects, but also commercial developments, particularly the rising number of resorts and homestays in and around the Ghats.
“Though this looks small, a close analysis has found it to be a major problem. Plots of various dimensions are being converted into resorts and homestays, some are legal and some are not.
There is a need to have a policy involving all six states for protection of the landscape, hence a national policy has been proposed,” said Mohammed Tabrez Alam Shariff, committee chairman.
He said there are no guidelines on how many homestays and resorts can come up. The policy will ensure that checks and balances are in place. In Karnataka, a large number has mushroomed in Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu and surrounding areas.
Large plots of land are being sliced into smaller plots and sold for the construction of villas or independent houses which are being leased, sub-leased or rented out. These may look small on the ground, but are breaking the landscape and contributing to man-animal conflict also, he said.
State forest officials and the Task Force Committee said there is no consolidated number of how many hotels, resorts and homestays are in and around forest patches and the Western Ghats.
The committee aims to start work on the policy from September 2026, complete it by January 2027 and submit it to the ministry. The members are holding meetings with officials from the other states, and drawing up the report. Karnataka was the first state to conduct a carrying capacity study on the Ghats. It will also be the first state to initiate such a study for the entire landscape.