Shun Kasturirangan report, leaders urge govt

Majority of elected representatives and public of Kodagu District have urged the State government not to implement the recommendations of the  Kasturirangan committee report on the conservation of Western Ghats.

Members of Cabinet sub committee, comprising Minister for Forest Ramanath Rai, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs T B Jayachandra, Cooperation Minister H S Mahadevaprasad.

Higher Education Minister R V Deshpande and Urban Development Minister Vinay Kumar Sorake formed by the State government to look into the recommendations made by the panel, held consultations with the elected representatives and the public here on Saturday in this regard. When the environmentalists wanted to make their point, the public opposed them.

Realising the gravity of the situation, Minister Rai asked them to send their opinion in writing to the committee.  

Former MLC A K Subbaiah said that there is no clear cut idea on Western Ghats jurisdiction. The boundary has not been identified. In this background, the identification of natural landscape and cultural landscape by Kasturirangan committee report is unscientific. 

How could the committee could identify 1,555 villages as ecologically sensitive areas (ESA)when we have failed to identify the border of Western Ghats.

“We have no objection if the recommendations are implemented on natural landscape area alone. If it is implemented on cultural landscape, then it will affect the life of people.”  He said the State government should first mark the jurisdiction and boundary of the Western Ghats and prepare a map on the same. The Forest laws are strong enough to conserve Western Ghats, he added.

MLA K G Bopaiah said that the district forest department officials were responsible for including Bhagamandala, Talacauvery, Jenukallu Betta in ESA limits. No survey was conducted. 

Former MLC M C Nanaiah said that the private land coming under ESA should be dropped. The ESAs should be restricted to restricted forest, National Park and already identified protected forest. 

The members of the public said that if the recommendations of the report is implemented and quarry is prohibited in the district, then it will affect the development works. 

Speaking to mediapersons, Cabinet Sub committee Chairman Ramanath Rai said that the committee has already visited eight districts to collect public opinion. After collecting opinion from all the ten districts, the compiled report will be submitted to the Cabinet and later will be sent to the Central government by April 15.

“We want to conserve environment. Along with the conservation of environment, the life of local residents is also important. The central government will take a final call on the recommendations.”