A massive landslide occurred at Wayanad in Kerala on July 30, 2024, leading to a considerable loss of life and property. In the wake of Wayanad disaster, the union government issued the draft notification on July 31, 2024, for the sixth time within a decade. Under this notification, a certain area of the Western Ghats, i.e., around 56,826 sq. km or 36 per cent of the Western Ghats, has been classified as an ecologically sensitive area (ESA). Consequently, most commercial activities will be restricted in this zone.
The Western Ghats, an extensive mountain range running parallel to India’s western coast and spanning six states—Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, and Gujarat—cover an area of about 1,40,000 sq. km and extend over 1,600 km. This ancient range, older than the Himalayas, holds immense global significance for its biodiversity, geological features, and cultural heritage. The Western Ghats play a critical role in influencing large-scale ecological and biophysical processes across the Indian subcontinent, particularly affecting the Indian monsoon by intercepting rain-laden winds from the southwest. This interaction helps moderate the region’s tropical climate and exemplifies one of the world’s most significant monsoon systems.
The Western Ghats are also a biodiversity hotspot, recognised as one of the world’s eight ‘hottest hotspots’ of biological diversity, alongside Sri Lanka. The region’s montane forests are among the best examples of non-equatorial tropical evergreen forests globally. They support a remarkable variety of life, including at least 325 globally threatened species. This includes 229 plant species, 31 mammals, 15 birds, 43 amphibians, 5 reptiles, and 1 fish species. Of these, 129 are classified as vulnerable, 145 as endangered, and 51 as critically endangered, highlighting the urgent need for continued conservation efforts.
Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs)
The concept of ESAs, also known as eco-sensitive zones (ESZs) was introduced during the 21st meeting of the Indian Board for Wildlife on January 21, 2002. It was in this meeting that the Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 2002 was approved. One of the propositions of the strategy suggested that lands within 10 kilometres of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries should be designated as eco-fragile zones under Section 3(v) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and Rule 5, sub-rules (viii) and (x) of the Environment (Protection) Rules.
The National Environment Policy (2006) defined the ESZs/Areas “as areas/zones with identified environmental resources having incomparable values which require special attention for their conservation” because of its landscape, wildlife, biodiversity, historical and natural values. To safeguard the environment and maintain the biological integrity of regions beyond protected areas, where ecosystems have been harmed by human activities and climate factors, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) designates these regions as ESZs or ESAs. Essentially, this designation identifies areas that are rich in environmental resources requiring special protection.
The purpose of designating ESZs or ESAs is threefold. Firstly, it aims to protect the environment and prevent its degradation resulting from human activities. Secondly, these zones act as barriers or shock absorbers for specialised ecosystems within protected areas, helping to mitigate any negative impacts from surrounding developments. Finally, ESZs function as transitional areas, providing a gradual shift from regions with higher levels of protection to those with lesser protection, thus ensuring a more integrated and sustainable approach to conservation.
Further, restrictions are imposed on human activities to protect flora and fauna, natural habitats, and ecosystems in such regions from further damage.
Background
Since March 2014, five draft notifications have been released by the union government for designating certain regions of the Western Ghats as ESA. But Kerala and Karnataka have not given their consent for the same yet. As a result, ESAs continue to be unprotected.
In July 2022, the Centre released the fifth draft and also formed a committee so that notification can be finalised with the consent of the state governments. But the validity of the draft expired in 2024. Thus, the sixth draft notification has been issued on July 31, 2024, to finalise the ESAs with the mutual consent of all the concerned states, the task that has taken almost 10 years and is still underway. This latest draft notification is available for public to share their views within 60 days. Post this period, the Centre will release the final notification.
Several schemes have been implemented by the Centre to conserve wildlife, forests and environment in various states of the country, which include the states having Western Ghats too. For the protection of the Western Ghats, two committees were formed by the Centre. These are the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) also known as Gadgil Commission, formed in 2010, under the leadership of Professor Madhav Gadgil and the High Level Working Group (HLWG) on the Western Ghats, constituted in 2012 under the leadership of Dr K. Kasturirangan. The main purpose of the Kasturirangan committee was to examine the recommendations given by the Gadgil committee. The first notification, issued in 2014, was based on the report submitted by the HLWG. In the notification, certain ecologically sensitive areas, which were basically culturally and biologically significant, were specified. It was mentioned that these areas needed protection and conservation.
The Restrictions in ESAs (Recommendations of the Kasturirangan Committee Report)
Quarrying, mining, and sand mining will be altogether prohibited in the ESAs. From the expiry of the existing mining lease or from the date of issuing of the final notification (whichever is prior) until the completion of the five years period, all the mines that are currently operating shall be gradually shut down. Besides, currently-running plants cannot be expanded, and new thermal power projects cannot be launched in these areas.
The Central Pollution Control Board or the State Pollution Control Board are authorised to specify the new ‘red’ category of industries. The government shall impose a ban on the establishment of such industries. Also, currently operating industries cannot be expanded. However industries, such as health care facilities, shall be operable in the ESAs if they comply with certain rules and regulations.
Apart from this, the government shall put a ban on all new projects as well as projects for the expansion of building and construction having a built-up area of up to 20,000 sq. m. and more in the ESAs. Besides, it shall also put a ban on all new townships and area development projects having a built-up area of 1,50,000 sq. m. The expansion of such projects shall also be prohibited.
The government shall permit the establishment of new hydropower projects only on the condition that ecological flow of minimum 30 per cent of the rivers flow is constant in lean season.
No impact shall be on the property ownership in the ESA owing to the provisions of the notification. The central government has recommended the ESA of the Western Ghats as follows: Kerala comprises 9,993 sq. km, Karnataka comprises 20,668 sq. km, Tamil Nadu comprises 6,914 sq. km, Goa comprises 1,461 sq. km, Maharashtra comprises 17,340 sq. km, and Gujarat comprises 449 sq. km ESA.
Reasons behind the Rejection of the Report by the State Governments
For the purpose of development works, the governments of Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Goa appealed for decreasing the extent of the ESA in their respective states. In 2022, the then government in Karnataka pointed out that the livelihood of the people in the state might be considerably affected, and thus, requested the central government to eliminate the draft. Besides, the government thought that the development works in the state will cease if the report is implemented. As there is a vast forest cover in Karnataka, the biodiversity of the Western Ghats is conserved with the help of the measures taken by the government.
The Chief Minister of Karnataka pointed out that the satellite images were used to prepare the Kasturirangan Report. But the reality is quite distinct. People living in the state use eco-friendly techniques to carry out agricultural activities and horticultural activities. With the implementation of the Forest Protection Act, environment conservation is the topmost priority of the government. Taking into account several existing conservation schemes, the livelihood of the people would get adversely affected with the new law.
The Need for the Western Ghats to be Tagged as ESA
The Western Ghats need to be tagged as ESA due to the following reasons:
- Recently, landslides occurred in the ESA of Wayanad, leading to a great disaster. This shows that the former governments in the region have remained unsuccessful in bringing the Western Ghats under the eco-sensitive region.
- The union government has issued five draft notifications since 2014. But still Kerala and Karnataka government have not given their consent to tag some parts of their states, particularly the Western Ghats region, as ESA. Thus, these areas are not included in the safety cover.
- In India, the second-most landslides affected region after the Himalayas is the Western Ghats region, spanning across the six states, namely Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.
- Several human activities have continued to degrade the environment without the ESA cover over the Western Ghats. These activities include cutting down of forests recklessly for mining and other infrastructure projects. Consequently, soil has been eroded, making the hills instable. This is the major cause of recent devastating landslides in Wayanad.
- Lately, the effects of climate change and global warming are increasingly seen in Kerala. Resultantly, the rainfall has been erratic and heavy here.
Important Measures to Protect ESAs
The climate change is clearly evident from the instances of frequent floods, landslides, droughts, and rise in earth’s temperature all around the world and even in India. This will impact the lives of humans and other organisms. So, it would be wise to conserve the fragile ecosystems rather than spending resources on their restoration post-calamities.
Some important measures are as follows:
- Sturdy landslide warning systems should be developed. For that, a multi-institutional framework is required including geologists and other weather experts.
- Disasters in the ESAs can be prevented by using sustainable development models and regulating the cutting down of trees.
- The adverse effects of climate change need to be dealt with urgently, considering the destructive landslides, aggravated by incessant rains, that occurred in Kerala.
- Advanced weather forecasting technologies should be integrated into the early warning systems so that potential rainfall and landslides can be known earlier for disaster preparedness.
- Apart from these, sustainable land management practices should be followed by encouraging reforestation and sustainable agriculture along with reducing deforestation. This will facilitate stability in the hilly region, thereby preventing soil erosion.
Conclusion
The disaster in Wayanad serves as a stark reminder of the fragile balance within the Western Ghats’ ecosystem and the urgent need for robust conservation measures. Designating the Western Ghats as an ESA is not just a proactive step towards preserving this irreplaceable natural heritage but also a necessary measure to protect the communities and ecosystems that depend on it. By implementing and enforcing stringent environmental protections, India can work towards ensuring a resilient and sustainable future for the Western Ghats and its inhabitants.
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