BENGALURU: The Kasturirangan report on the Western Ghats, which has kicked up much controversy, was submitted in April 2013. The Kasturirangan committee, comprising a High Level Working Group (HLWG), was constituted in 2012 under the chairmanship of former ISRO Chairman K Kasturirangan to review the Madhav Gadgil report of 2011.
The Gadgil panel had recommended declaring the entire 1,29,037sqkm of Western Ghats as an ecologically sensitive region. Stiff opposition to the Gadgil report led to the constitution of the Kasturirangan committee to review it. The HLWG identified about 59,940 sq km (37% of the Western Ghats as Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) across six states—Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Of this, the largest area falls in Karnataka (10 districts).
The report stated that the Western Ghats is a majestic mountain range, and one of the country’s seven great mountain ranges, next only to the Himalayas. Its unique geology, geomorphology and high rainfall have created one of the world’s most ecologically diverse landscapes, supporting a wide range of forest types -- from tropical wet evergreen forests to grasslands.
The report points to around 4,000 species of flowering plants with a high degree of endemism, and rich fauna with endemism ranging from 11 per cent to 78 per cent across different groups. “Consequently, the Western Ghats is recognised as one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots and ranks among the eight hottest hotspots globally,’’ it stated.
The report proposed restrictions on activities that could harm the environment in the ESA, including a ban on new mining, quarrying and sand mining. Existing mining activities were to be phased out within the recommended period or when the lease expired. It also proposed restrictions on highly polluting industries and ban on new thermal power projects.
The proposed ESA covers 10 Western Ghats districts -- Belagavi, Chamarajanagar, Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu, Hassan, Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada, Mysuru, Shivamogga and Udupi.
Farmers and residents have raised concerns that agricultural land, coffee and arecanut plantations that they have been using for their livelihood, and villages where they have been residing for ages could also come under the ESA.
The Karnataka government has objected six times since the report was submitted, and stressed that areas where people have been living and farming should not be treated on par with natural forests. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) issued the seventh notification in July this year and asked the State government to submit its stand by September 27, 2026.