This is the fifth time the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has issued a gazette notification, inviting objections for the identification and declaration of Eco Sensitive Zones (ESZs) in the Western Ghats. And confusion still prevails.
According to officials in the ministry, forest department and conservationists, confusion is being created more by those who have not read the notification, and have misunderstood what was quoted. They question the timing of the notification, saying it appeared to be timed with elections in many states, including Karnataka, and allege that politicians and lobbyists are playing upon it to draw voters.
The notification released by the ministry on July 6, 2022, allows people two months to file objections. It is based on the Kasturirangan report, which was challenged in court by several activists. The ministry had earlier released drafts, inviting objections in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018. The draft Kasturirangan report, before being tabled, was prepared after holding public consultation meetings.
According to forest department officials, the confusion which politicians and lobbyists are creating is that tribals and villagers living in areas which are to be declared ‘sensitive areas’, will be displaced. "This is not correct. The fundamental rights listed in the Constitution provide citizens the right to stay anywhere in the country, and override any other rule, including the Environment Protection Act (EPA)," said an official.
Voluntary tribal relocation is also clearly defined. The report states that all ongoing activities will continue, but no new ones can be permitted without consultation, the official said. The report clearly divides spaces for utilisation around forests in the Western Ghats into three categories - Green, Orange and Red.
Under the Green category, all rural, agricultural, horticultural, shops, villages and existing towns will stay. Orange category regulates activities like tourism and development; and Red restricts activities like mining, quarrying, thermal and hydel projects, and development like road and rail projects.
"On assessing the objections closely, one will understand that governments are keen to take up projects in and around forests, apart from tourism, like the Hubballi-Ankola railway line, road widening inside forests, Sagarmala project, electric pumphouse storage, Mekedatu and water line projects, which could take a hit. The supply of sand and stone to undertake construction and development works in urban areas will also be affected," the official said.
Prof TV Ramachandra, Coordinator, Energy and Wetlands Research Group (EWRG), and Convener, Environmental Information System (ENVIS) at the Centre for Ecological Sciences (CES), IISc, says that on one hand, the government talks of increasing green cover and protecting Western Ghats, but on the other, it supports opposition. Fragmentation analysis highlights reduction of interior forest cover from 37.14 per cent to 25.01 per cent over the past three decades.
Conservationists explain why politicians don't simplify the report for citizens: "For taking up activities in Orange zones, a zonal master plan of every region is required, which has never been prepared. If this is done, all existing illegal activities will be known, and further development will be a problem. So there is a push for a blanket ban on the draft," he says.
Karkala MLA and Energy Minister Sunil Kumar V has been vocal against restrictions, saying there should be relaxation for people to live in the area. Dr Matpady Prabhath Kalkura, an activist, says tribal people in areas notified as ESZs follow a unique lifestyle in sync with nature.
"It is easier said than done to rehabilitate such vulnerable tribal groups," he says. Meanwhile, locals in Karkala say many plantations lie in the notified areas, so there will surely be protests if the report is implemented.
Eco Sensitive Zon questioned
The Forest department has earmarked 1 km radius as Eco Sensitive Zone (ESZ) for Kali Tiger Reserve and Lion Tailed Macaque (LTM) sanctuary. The former, according to a senior forest official, is spread over 1,300sqkm across the district, while the LTM sanctuary covers 900sqkm in Uttara Kannada and Shivamogga.
The ESZ was considered based on the Wildlife Protection Act 1986, along MoEF guidelines. But it was set in motion after the Supreme Court questioned it in 2012. "We never fixed more than 1km radius around the park," says a senior forest official. Various organisations are against it, saying it is technically defective.
Ravindra Naik, a senior advocate from Sirsi, and president, Aranya Bhoomi Hakku Horatagarara Vedike, which strictly opposes the ESZ, says it was fixed based on satellite imagery.
"The ESZ planned includes 704 villages which have been inside forests for centuries. The ESZ proposal covers places which have about 20 per cent biodiversity. It is nothing but table work, and is being done to bring in new laws to protect wildlife. We don’t think it is necessary. The Indian Forest Act, Karnataka Forest Act and Wildlife Protection Act are in force. Do we really need a new law?" he questioned.
MK Vipultej, advocate from Karkala, says the new notification by the Centre is a monumental move to save the Western Ghats on paper. "But its success will depend on implementation, without affecting the livelihood of millions of people inhabiting these regions," he says.
Dependence on satellite survey
The draft notification has triggered fear in Malnad, especially in Chikkamagaluru district. Of the 56,874 sqkm area spread over various states identified as ESZ in Western Ghats range, 147 villages in Chikkamagaluru, Mudigere, Koppa, NR Pura and Sringeri have been notified.
The committee report comes as a rude shock to villagers who are already finding it difficult to recover from floods and the vagaries of nature.
S Vijayakumar, convener of Anti-Kasturirangan Report Struggle Committee, says the objection is against the report prepared with satellite survey, as farmers' land holdings are also included in the forest zone.
He demands a physical survey by bifurcating natural forest and artificial forest. Even villages in artificial forests are declared as ‘sensitive’. Labourers and workers dependent on plantations and tourism will be left in the lurch if the report is implemented.
Vested interests at play
ESZs are marked in Nagarahole, Bandipur and BRT Tiger Reserves and MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary. After the declaration of ESZ, there will be restrictions on mining activities, construction of resorts and home stays, cultivation of tobacco and road widening, where trees had to be cut. However, regular agricultural activities will not be affected.
Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Gundlupet unit president Mahadevappa says farmers will be badly affected if the government declares ESZ, as farmers will be prevented from taking up cultivation of commercial crops.
"We cannot grow commercial crops nor run commercial activities, if villages on the fringes of forest areas come under ESZ. We cannot drill borewells, construct houses, and local bodies will not be allowed to widen roads," he says. The farmers plan to hold massive protests if ESZs are declared.
But former honorary wildlife warden and Wildlife Conservation Foundation (WCF) founder Rajkumar Devaraje Urs says, "Five years ago, when we tried to mark ESZs in Bandipur, there was opposition stating they should not be more than 1 kilometre. Some argued that there should be no ESZs at all. There are misconceptions among people living near forest areas that they will be asked to shift out of ESZs, and cannot drill borewells or construct houses and practice agriculture."
Urs says, "They are spreading false information among farmers to take up protests. Road development will increase the market value of their lands and ESZs will prevent development activities."
Draft not in regional texts
Urs points out that the main reason for farmers opposing ESZs is that the draft copy is either in Hindi or English, but not in regional languages. "If people want to know its advantages, the copy should be printed in Kannada and other regional languages. We got the ESZs copy translated into Kannada from English and distributed copies to people near Bandipur. We also held a jatha from Bandipur to Nagarahole to create awareness. ESZs will affect just 1 per cent, while 99 per cent of people will benefit," he said.
Lack of awareness
Dinesh Holla, well-known artist and environmental activist, says people objecting to the government are encroachers of forest land who are living there illegally. Those who possess documents don't have to fear.
"Locals have been threatened that wild animals will enter their homes. When the Kasturirangan report came out, there were protests in Shiradi, but without knowing how much land will be lost. The reasons for landslides at Balur, Mudigere, Chikkamagaluru and Madikeri are irrational projects undertaken in the Western Ghats," he says,
"The Yettinahole project is one of the reasons for landslides in Shiradi and Charmady. The objection now is from private estates and resorts. The geology department should have submitted an authentic report on disasters in the Western Ghats. Both the State and Central governments are against environmental issues. Also, the government is minimising eco-sensitive zones, which should be declared based on wildlife, river origin, grassland etc," Dinesh adds.
Even in Hassan, where 37 per cent of Western Ghats adjacent to Sakleshpur taluk are considered an eco-sensitive area, most locals and elected representatives are unaware about the recommendations on ESZs.
Farmers and coffee growers are worried about the strict ban on chemical fertilisers and pesticides recommended by the High Level Working Group (HLWG) led by Kasturirangan.
MISINFORMATION SABOTAGING GOOD INTENT
Niren Jain, forest and wildlife conservationist, said the decision of the government is not against agriculturists. "Detailed information on how much area of Dakshina Kannada will come under the eco-sensitive zone is yet to be known. There is a lot of misinformation doing the rounds, saying people will be displaced and roads will not be built by vested interests. The notification restricts large townships of more than 10,000sqm, mining etc. It is helpful for farmers, so they need not worry," he says.
Inputs from: NS Subhash Chandra/Karwar BK Lakshmikanth/Mysuru Divya Cutinho/Mangaluru Prakash Samaga/ Udupi Thipperudrappa B/Chikkamagaluru Pragna GR/Madikeri Ramachandra V Gunari/Shivamogga Udaya Kumar BR/Hassan