Malenadu-Karavali Janapra Okkuta, a forum of people spread over Malnad and Coastal Karnataka, has raised objections to the draft notification of the Eco-Sensitive Zone area in the Western Ghats, as per the recommendations of K. Kasturirangan Report.
The forum, in a letter addressed to Bhupendra Yadav, Minister for Environment, Forests, and Climate Change and the Secretary of MoEF, has listed many reasons why it opposes the draft notification.
Anil Hosakoppa, Chief Convener of the forum, and Sudhir Kumar Murolli, general secretary, have listed 13 reasons for their opposition. They termed the report submitted by Kasturirangan, unscientific, based on satellite imagery, not the actual picture on the ground. The committee did not verify the sensitive area physically.
Fresh regulations were not required, they argued stating that existing laws were strong enough to conserve forest areas. The notification did not consider its impact on the forest dwellers and villagers, they maintained.
The forum stated the declaration of ECZ would gradually deny fundamental rights and basic amenities to people in the villages. The report did not recognize the traditional agricultural practices, it said.
The forum urged the Union government to constitute a committee to re-examine the suggestions and objections and added that the committee should include people’s representatives.
Published – September 08, 2024 07:12 pm IST
