BENGALURU: Members of the Legislative Council discussed the implementation of the Kasturirangan report and its implications for residents and farmers of the Western Ghats for around 10 hours without a break on Monday. Chairman Saleem Ahmed stated that the State Government would respond to the discussion on Tuesday.
Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara on Monday said that Karnataka has repeatedly rejected the report, but the Centre has continued to issue draft notifications, making it necessary to take the matter to its logical conclusion. He said environmental protection and safeguarding of livelihoods of people living in the Western Ghats must go together.
The DCM said Karnataka had already protected large areas through forests, wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and eco-sensitive zones. “The Centre’s repeated notifications are increasing the concern among people living in the Western Ghats,” he said.
Further, he said that the Kasturirangan report has been prepared based on satellite imagery, and the general view in the Malnad region is that it lacks a proper ground-level assessment, adding that only a physical survey can establish the actual ground realities.
Joining the discussion, BJP MLC CT Ravi recommended that physical surveys like how the Kerala state carried out, should be done, while pointing out that not all green areas identified were forests, and demanded clarity on the do’s and don’ts in the ecologically sensitive areas. He also advocated for a carrying-capacity-based development, assessing how much population, construction, tourism, industry and water use an area can sustainably support.
Adding to the discussion, S Ravi pointed out how the report did not make any mention or take into account the increasing population of animals while highlighting the increase in man-animal conflict. While he stressed the difficulties in getting any infrastructural work done in the forest zones while calling them “the real enemies” with regard to the difficulties they create for numerous approvals.
Urban Development Minister Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah said that the State Government was not outrightly rejecting the Kasturirangan report. “While the government has accepted some of the contents of the report, it also has not accepted some others and is requesting changes,” he said.
He said that the intention of the government is that the Western Ghats and its species be conserved without causing distress to residents or affecting existing agricultural land.
When Yathindra said that the government had already submitted its objections to the Union Government’s notification, Leader of Opposition Chalavadi Narayanaswamy questioned why a special session had been called then. Yathindra replied that government could still send further objections and that the government had convened the session to seek the views of the opposition members.