BENGALURU: The ecology in the Western Ghats is important, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa told Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar through a video conference on Thursday. He explained that gram panchayat members and the members of other elected bodies have deep reservations about the recommendations of the Kasturirangan Report in its present form, especially about ‘sensitive zones’.
The Chief Minister, who is also the legislator of Shikaripura in Shivamogga district -- which is part of the Western Ghats, is all too familiar with the recommendations of the report, which balances the concerns of environment protection with development.
He raised several points with Javadekar, seeking to take forward the concerns of the elected representatives about the fine balance between development and environmental concerns. While ecologists demand that the Western Ghats be declared a sensitive zone, the elected members said that development is important too.
The CM reiterated that the concerns of different states were different and they cannot use “a single measure to measure all different concerns”. The Union Minister agreed with the concerns raised by the CM. The Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Kerala, Goa, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat participated in the video conference as well, apart from state. Forest Minister Anand Singh and Additional Chief Secretary of the Forest Department Sandeep Dave were present.