WGEEP Report

1

Madhav Gadgil

4th March 2011

Bengaluru

• Western Ghats look like a comely young maiden, with Agasthyamalai her head,

Nilgiris and Anemalais her breasts, Goa her waist, Arabian Sea her blue garment,

2

her waist, Arabian Sea her blue garment, and Satpuras her feet.

– Kalidasa, circa 2nd century AD, Raghuvamsa,

Canto IV

• “When ascending, and on gaining the summit of any of these passes (in the Western Ghats), the scenery which everywhere presents itself is of the grandest kind. Some idea of it may be formed by imagining mountains succeeding mountains, three or four thousand feet high, covered with trees, except in places where the huge, black, barren rocks are so solid as to prevent the hardiest shrub from finding root in their clefts. The verdure about the Ghats to the

3

their clefts. The verdure about the Ghats to the southward of Poona is perpetual, but during the rainy season, especially towards the latter part of it, when the torrents are pouring from the sides of the mountains, the effect is greatly heightened by the extreme luxuriance of vegetation”.

- Grant Duff (1826) History of Marathas, Vol. 1

• “Our Navy needs large timber as planks, beams and masts. This should be acquired by felling trees like teak from our kingdom as appropriate. Beyond this, the timber should be imported from outside. Trees like mango and jackfruit are also of use to the navy. But these should not be touched within the boundary of our kingdom. After all, these cannot be grown in a year or two. Our people have nurtured them like their own children over long periods. They will be deeply hurt if they

4

over long periods. They will be deeply hurt if they are cut. What is gained by hurting others can never last long. Rather, it constitutes a blemish on the ruler for exploiting the citizenry. Furthermore the land suffers in absence of these trees. Hence, this should never be permitted to happen. If there be an old, decaying tree, then it could be harvested after due payment to the owner”.

- Edict of Maratha King Shivaji, c. 1670

The Panel shall perform, the following

functions:

1. Assess the current status of ecology of the Western Ghats region.

2. Demarcate areas within the Western Ghats Region which need to be notified as ecologically

sensitive and to recommend for notification of such areas as ecologically sensitive zones

5

sensitive and to recommend for notification of such areas as ecologically sensitive zones

under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

3. Make recommendations for the conservation, protection and rejuvenation of the Western Ghats Region following a comprehensive consultation process involving people and Governments of all the concerned States.

The Panel shall perform, the following

functions:

4. Suggest measures for effective implementation of the notifications issued by the Government of India in the Ministry of Environment and Forests declaring specific areas in the Western Ghats Region as eco-sensitive zones under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

5. Recommend the modalities for the establishment of Western Ghats Ecology Authority under the Environment

6

5. Recommend the modalities for the establishment of Western Ghats Ecology Authority under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 which will be a professional body to manage the ecology of the region and to ensure its

sustainable development with the support of all concerned states.

6.Deal with any other relevant environment and ecological issues pertaining to Western Ghats Region, including

those which may be referred to it by the Central Government in the Ministry of Environment and Forests

Activities undertaken

• Panel meetings

• Brainstormings

• Commissioned papers

• Govt consultations

7

• Govt consultations

• Public consultations

• Field visits

• Formulation of scientific methodology

• Scientific publication

• Database compilation and analysis

Defining Western Ghats: Setting

boundaries

• Problems of eastward spurs:

Mahadevache Dongar, Biligirirangan temple

hills, Madeshwar Malai (Sukumar)

• Westward spurs (Ratnagiri, Goa, Uttara

8

• Westward spurs (Ratnagiri, Goa, Uttara

Kannada)

• Linkages in terms of elephant corridors

(Sukumar),

• Linkages in terms of coastal air pollution and

coastal power lines impacting WG forest.

History of boundaries

• Geologists – Valdiya, Aparna

• Biogeographers- Mani (Subbu);

• Vegetation (French Institute),

• Administrative: Town and Country

9

• Administrative: Town and Country Planning (Ribeiro),

• Planning Commission (Amit, Maharashtra WG Cell Officer)

Experience of Bhimashankar not being an acceptable hill area: (Kusum Karnik)

Implications of setting boundaries: abrupt or gradual change in management regime

• Alternatives:

• [a] Develop recklessly – conserve thoughtlessly

– Constitute islands of biodiversity in an ocean

of ecological desolation

10

of ecological desolation

• [b] Develop thoughtfully - conserve thoughtfully

• We advocate a layered, nuanced, participatory

approach; so that boundaries will not be

discontinuities and therefore will not be of undue

significance.

Setting

• Geological boundaries: Valdiya

• Climate boundaries –Rainfall clusters-Sulochana,

• Biogeographic context: Daniels,Subbu

11

• Biogeographic context: Daniels,Subbu

• Biomes, vegetation types: Subbu

• Landscapes: Daniels

Setting: Landscapes

• Natural landscapes

• Human induced landscape transformations

• Human interventions in terms of Property,

12

• Human interventions in terms of Property, Rights, and Access regimes

• Habitat fragmentation

• Significance of corridors

Setting: Ecosystems

• Natural ecosystems

• Human induced ecosystem transformations

• Human interventions in terms of Property, Rights, and Access regimes

• Special ecosystems:

• Evergreen shoals- grasslands; with notable endemic

13

• Evergreen shoals- grasslands; with notable endemic species - wattle invasions (Sukumar),

• Laterite plateaus- Aparna

• Myristica swamps- MDS,

• Riparian forests

Impact of Invasive Alien Species:

Eupatorium, Water Hyacinth, Tilapia; Subabul, Wattle

Challenges

• Environmental degradation – case study: Goa mines (Ligia), Uttara Kannada (NCERT handbook);

• Growing social divides – case study: ecological refugees: fisherfolk of Dabhol esturary (MG), BRT hills,

impoverishment of Solligas (Nitin Rai);

• Regulatory coordination and deficits; case study:

14

• Regulatory coordination and deficits; case study: Ligia

• Informational gaps and asymmetries; case study: Ligia

• The false dichotomy of environment and development; case study of Ramnagar resettlement (MG),

Konkan Rly: Karambolim wetland

Alternative paths to prosperity

• Inclusive, caring vs exclusionary, uncaring;

• Case study of Kalane mine (Vaishali Patil)

• Egalitarian, such as nature loving regimes of Scandinavian countries, rich in forest and

mineral Resources

15

mineral Resources

• Finland earns as much by exporting “zero effluent technologies” as by selling paper

• Norwegian Petroleum Fund

• Exclusionary path: Stratified, violence torn, such as white supremacist regime of South Africa

Pillars of sustainable development

• Putting Inclusive growth into practice

• Quotation from: Ram Guha on Idea of India

• We are practicing exclusionary

16

• We are practicing exclusionary development, exclusionary conservation; for vested interests profit from such exclusion

Amartya Sen :‘Development as

Freedom’

• Process of expanding real freedoms that people enjoy

• Access to –

• Adequate Food, Clean water, Unpolluted

17

• Adequate Food, Clean water, Unpolluted Air, Shelter, Education, Health Care, and

Gainful Employment.

• Above all development should lead to an enhanced capacity to engage in social,

political, and economic decision making.

Towards sustainable development

• Ensuring Social or distributive justice

• Promoting Social ecology and green economy.

• Putting into practice: Public trust doctrine

18

• Putting into practice: Public trust doctrine

• Putting into practice: Polluter pays principle

• Putting into practice: Precautionary principle

• (Write up from Ligia)

Key questions

• Is environment being effectively protected?

• Are environmental costs acceptable?

• Are transfers of environmental costs (Inter-sectoral, Inter-regional, Inter-class, Inter-generational) acceptable?

• Are people being involved in good management of environment?

19

environment?

• Are people being involved in deciding upon an appropriate development path?

• Are development policies leading to sustainable development?

• Are decision-makers at centres of power aware of what is happening on ground?

• Are people’s civil rights being respected?

• Summary of Ratnagiri- Sindhudurg report (MG)

Currently available tools

• Development Planning and its devolution

• Case study: Kerala experience (Vijayanand)

• Goa decentralization proposal (Satish

20

• Goa decentralization proposal (Satish Sonak)

Currently available tools

:PESA

• Experience of implementation of Extension of Panchayat Raj to Scheduled Areas in

Schedule V district of Nandurbar -

21

Kanhere

Currently available tools

• Ecorestoration programmes

• Watershed development activities. Case study: Masur- Lukkeri (MG)

• Role of MGNREGA in ecorestoration.

22

• Role of MGNREGA in ecorestoration. Case study: Wynaad, Lamkani (Nevadkar)

Currently available tools:

Regional Plans

• Town and Country Planning, merits and

limitations (Ribeiro)

• Case studies: Pune and Ratnagiri districts (MG)

• Hill stations policy, Lake District, Lavasa, Amby

23

• Hill stations policy, Lake District, Lavasa, Amby

Valley (Ribeiro, Oikos)

• Goa Regional Plan 2021 (Ligia)

• Zoning Atlases for Siting of Industries

• Case studies: Pune and Ratnagiri districts (MG)

Currently available tools

• Environmental Protection Act 1986; merits and limitations (Borwankar)

• Air pollution

• Water Pollution

24

• Water Pollution

• Case study: Lote MIDC (MG)

• Environmental Impact Assessment, clearances, monitoring, (Vishwambhar

Chodhari); Paryavaran Vahini; case study: Vidya Nayak

Currently available tools

• Special Economic Zones:

• Case studies:

Raigad (Satish Londhe),

25

Rajgurunagar(Vijay Paranjapye), Bhutkhamb (Swati Kerkar),

Dakshin Kannada (Vidya Nayak)

Currently available tools

• Forest and Wildlife Conservation legislation, Forest Act, Wild Life Preservation Act

• Forest Act ; Village Forest provision: Case study: Halkar village, Muroor Kallabbe (MDS)

• Protected Areas, Tiger reserves, Case study:

26

• Protected Areas, Tiger reserves, Case study: BRT hills (Nitin Rai);

• Community Conservation Areas, Case study: Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary (Premanand Mhambre)

• Positive incentives for conservation: Somanathan

Currently available tools

• Biological Diversity Act

• Kerala experiment: Vijayan / Varma

27

Currently available tools

• Forest Conservation Act; Case study: Mining related Forest Clearances in Goa

(Ramesh Gavas), Kolhapur – mining without clearances (Uday Gaikwad)

28

• Joint Forest Management, Case study: Dakshin Kannada (Vidya Nayak)

• Forest Rights Act: Case study: Atharapally (Lata), Gundia (Vidya Nayak, Kishore

Kumar), Goa

Currently available tools

• Ecologically Sensitive Areas; Basis in

EPA

• Panchagani- Mahabaleshwar, Case

29

study: Summary of how Panchagani-

Mahabaleshwar is being managed

(Devavrat Mehta)

Pronab Sen Committee Defn

Ecological sensitivity is defined as the imminent possibility of:

• permanent and irreparable loss of extant life forms from the world; or

30

extant life forms from the world; or

• significant damage to the natural processes of evolution and speciation.

Sen Cmt Primary Criteria

Species based

1. Endemism

2. Rarity

3. Endangered species

31

3. Endangered species

4. Centres of evolution of domesticated species

Sen Cmt Primary Criteria

• Ecosystem based

Wildlife Corridors

Specialised ecosystems

Special breeding site/area

32

Special breeding site/area

Areas with intrinsically low resilience

Sacred groves

Frontier Forests

Sen Cmt Primary Criteria

• Geo-morphological features based

Uninhabited Islands in the sea

Steep Slopes

33

Steep Slopes

Origins of Rivers

Sen Cmt Auxillary Criteria

• Species based

• Areas or centres of less known food plants

34

plants

• Ecosystem based

• Wetlands

• Grasslands

Sen Cmt Auxillary Criteria

• Geo-morphological features based

• Upper Catchment areas

• Not so Steep Slopes

35

• Not so Steep Slopes

• High Rainfall Areas

• Other uninhabited Islands

Ecological Sensitivity

• Pronab Sen Report: critique from

WGEEP document

• Entire Western Ghats region, (as well as

36

• Entire Western Ghats region, (as well as much of the rest of the country) qualifies

as ESA• We must therefore work out a graduated

approach

Currently available tools

• Proposals of Min EnF Wild Life

Division for management of ESAs

around PAs

37

Min En&F Wild Life Division ESA

Proposals content

1. Physical boundaries

2. Legal status

3. Biodiversity values

4. Livelihood resource base

38

4. Livelihood resource base

5. Activities to be prohibited/ regulated/ promoted

6. Protected Areas

Activity x Rg � Remark

1 Commercial

mining

* Digging/ quarrying OK if

related to personal house

construction

2 Tree felling * Permission from authority

3 Saw mills *

39

3 Saw mills *

4 Hotels, resorts * Per Master plan

5 Commercial

fire wood use * For hotels, businesses

Activity x Rg � Remark

6 Polluting industry *

7 Drastic change in

farming

*

8 Commercial use of * Per

40

8 Commercial use of

natural water sources

including ground water

* Per

Master

plan

9 Major Hydel project *

10 Electric cables * Undergro

und

Activity x Rg � Remark

11 Organic farming

by locals

* Per Master

plan

12 Rain water

harvesting

* Promote

13 Fencing hotels *

41

13 Fencing hotels *

14 Organic farming * Promote

15 Polythene bags

in shops

*

Activity x Rg � Remark

16 Renewable

energy

* Promote

17 Road widening * With EIA &

mitigation

18 Vehicular traffic at

night

* Commercial

vehicles

42

night vehicles

19 Exotic species *

20 Use/ production

hazardous

material

*

Activity x Rg � Remark

21 Overflying by hot air

baloon

*

22 Protecting hill slopes/

river banks

* Per Master

plan

23 Discharging effluents/ *

43

23 Discharging effluents/

solid waste in

water/land

*

24 Air & vehicular

pollution

*

25 Sign boards &

hoardings

*

Activity x Rg � Remark

26 Green

technologie

s for all

activities

* Actively promote

44

Ecological Sensitivity

• Concept

• Contributing factors

• Search for an appropriate methodology and protocol

45

and protocol

• Scoring for sensitivity

• (Current Science paper)

Ecological sensitivity

• Public inputs:

• Resolutions of several Gram Sabhas in Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts,

• Proposals from NGOs:

46

• Proposals from NGOs:

• Kodagu,

• Sahyadri and Kodachadri Ecologically Sensitive Areas.

Ecological sensitivity

• Exercises to be undertaken for identification:

[1] Gujarath, Maharashtra, Goa: MG; [2]

Kaarnataka: KNG, RB, VN, [3] Tamilnadu: BJK,

RS, [4] Kerala: VSV, RVV

47

RS, [4] Kerala: VSV, RVV

• Regions of lowest sensitivity

• Regions of low sensitivity

• Regions of moderate sensitivity

• Regions of high sensitivity

• Regions of highest sensitivity

Marrying Conservation to

Development

• The entire Western Ghats tract may serve as a laboratory for fashioning development programmes compatible with nature

conservation and social justice

48

conservation and social justice

• Emphasize conservation and efficient use of resources- green architecture, rain water

harvests

• Avoiding waste

• Creating wealth from waste – energy from sewage, fertilizer from kitchen waste

Development strategy, elaborated for various

sectors with respect to regions of lowest,

low, moderate, high and highest

sensitivity

• Lessons from Himachal Pradesh (Pirta, Peter D’Souza), Uttarakhand(Lalit Pande),

Sikkim (Satyadeep Chhetri)

49

Sikkim (Satyadeep Chhetri)

• Western Ghats would also be a leader in Sustainable Development (SWGM)

Ecologically Sensitive Area : Talkat, Dodamarg, Sindhudurg - 1

• It is necessary to consider following things for conservation of forest, and development of the village:

• Watershed development programme :

• Though we have perennial streams as a water source for village, it is important to plan methods for efficient use of these resources. In summer orchards do not get enough water due to lack of planning. It is possible to build Nala

50

water due to lack of planning. It is possible to build Nalabunds and small dams for water storage. Government

officials have done preliminary observation and background work in the village. That’s why it is very

important to give priority for watershed development. Each Wadi in village is need of this.

• Perennial streams are present in Western Ghats ridges in the village. It is possible to build mini hydel projects for

power generation on these streams. There is need to study this possibility.

Ecologically Sensitive Area : Talkat, Dodamarg, Sindhudurg - 2

• It is needed to improve present condition of Cashewnut and arecanut orchards. In the area where forest and

enough water sources for horticulture are not present, we can develop agroforestry dependent on rainwater.

We require training and funds from government for this.

• At present we don’t have nursery of plants. We can develop one indigenous plant nursery for above

51

• At present we don’t have nursery of plants. We can develop one indigenous plant nursery for above

mentioned agroforestry. Some self help groups will get income from this.

• Village tourism: Traditional houses, orchards and greenery in our village attract tourists. Our people from Mumbai (whose native place is Talkat) come here along with their city friends. There is scope to develop village

as a tourist place.

Ecologically Sensitive Area : Talkat, Dodamarg, Sindhudurg - 3

• Human- Wild life conflict- Location of Talkat village is near to forest. Orchards are surrounded by forest. The

forest area in the village is blessed with rich wildlife as it is a part of forest between Amboli-Tillari. We are living

with this wildlife since years. But these days we are facing nuisance from monkey, sambar, elephant and

leopard. While preparing development plan we have to

52

leopard. While preparing development plan we have to consider this issue. We do like to live with wildlife.

• This is what we think. Government and villagers should work on development plan of Ecologically Sensitive

Area. We are ready to do it. Because projects like mining are hazardous for our life as well as it will destroy

our income source. Instead of such projects we would like to have our village in Ecologically Sensitive area.

Land use policy

• Competing demands over land; land

acquisition policy; displacement and

rehabilitation

53

• SWGM:

• No conversion of Land, for domestic, Plantations or Industries. No fresh sale of land to be permitted. Protect steep slopes

facing West.

Land use policy

• Kodagu ESA proposals

• Town and city delimitation- Restriction on extension of existing town/city limits without approval of monitoring body.

• Villages in close proximity to towns and cities will

54

• Villages in close proximity to towns and cities will not be included in the town/ city limits without approval from respective Gram Sabhas.

• Restriction on conversion of wetlands and coffee plantations into commercial sites for development of residential layouts or other non-agricultural purposes.

Land use policy

• Kodagu ESA proposals

• Restriction on heights of buildings and on number of storeys.

• Rules and regulations regarding town and country planning to be strictly implemented.

55

planning to be strictly implemented.

• Building permission should be denied on hill sides with slopes in excess of a prescribed incline.

• Kodagu is a hilly area with extremely high rain fall. It is therefore necessary to give due importance to land

stability during construction of roads as well as buildings. There is also a need to prevent proliferation of mines

and quarries.

Water use policy (Brainstorming inputs: Amit

to organize the material)

• Competing demands over land; displacement and rehabilitation

• Policy options for land use in upper catchments of Western Ghats streams

• Competing demands of maintenance of environmental flows, irrigation, power, industrial, domestic and

56

flows, irrigation, power, industrial, domestic and recreational uses, sand mining

• Policy options for maintenance of Environmental Flows

• SWGM:Rivers, Lakes and other natural fresh water source should not be leased or sold to MNCs or any

other conglomerates. There are enough and more rivers flowing to the East from the Western Ghats, and hence

no attempt should be made to turn any river to east. Protect River basins .

Water Use

• Case study: Atharapally (Lata)

• Mining destroying natural springs

• Siltation of streams and rivers, river floods

• Groundwater depletion

57

• Groundwater depletion

• Case studies from Goa mining tracts

• (Gavas)

Agriculture

• Major contexts

• Valley Agriculture and Horticulture

• Hill Slope Agriculture

• Hill Slope Horticulture

58

• Hill Slope Horticulture

• Plantation crops

Agriculture

• Policy options for

• Organic agriculture

• Genetically modified crops

• C sequestration in agricultural soils;

59

• C sequestration in agricultural soils; Australian scheme

• Erosion of crop cultivars; PPVFR

Agriculture

• SWGM:The WG area would be a role model for

the country on Organic farming

• No agro Chemicals and pesticides. No GM

Crops in this Biodiversity rich Western Ghats,

60

Crops in this Biodiversity rich Western Ghats,

absolute no even to plantation crops, coffee, Tea

Rubber, Areca nut, Coconut . Coffee , Tea or

other estates when abandoned / or whose lease

is over, should not be permitted again.

Agriculture

• Kodagu ESA proposals

• Providing assistance for GI certification of Kodagu produce to include Kodagu coffee

and Kodagu honey.

61

and Kodagu honey.

• Implementing schemes related to floriculture etc with sizeable subsidies for

the local farmers.

Animal Husbandry

• Ban on goats?

• Policy options for maintenance of livestock land races

• Pastoral communities like Todas,

62

• Pastoral communities like Todas, Dhangars

• Kodagu ESA proposals:

• Implementing schemes related to animal husbandry, bee keeping, etc with sizeable subsidies for the local farmers.

Fisheries

• Policy options for:

• Habitat degradation

• Water flow disruption

• Overexploitation

63

• Overexploitation

• Pollution

• Destructive fishing methods

• Aquarium fish trade

Community Lands

• Community Grazing Lands: Encroachments, Grazing regulation

• Community Forest Lands: Cumindad lands

64

• Community Forest Lands: Cumindad lands of Goa

Reserved Forests

• SWGM:

• Forests should not be destroyed for Wind Mills

or Power lines – (how about laterite plateus?)

• When tree plantation and afforestation work is

65

• When tree plantation and afforestation work is

undertaken, no exotic species should be

planted, only local species should be planted.

• Mono culture plantations, including Oil yielding

trees, even by Forest Department should be

banned

Reserved Forests

• Kodagu ESA proposals• [a] Formation of core committee to look into

encroachments. This should include revenue and forest department officials

• [b] Proper boundary demarcation of forest areas, river banks and sacred groves.

66

banks and sacred groves.

• [c] Removal of encroachments from forests, river banks and sacred groves.

• [d] Core committee to periodically review status of forest lands, sacred groves and river banks in order to prevent any fresh encroachments.

•

Reserved Forests

• Kodagu ESA proposals• Ecological Territorial Army Unit

• There is a strong case for setting up an Eco- TA unit for Kodagu. Such units are carrying out excellent work in other regions of India. The man power is from retired

67

in other regions of India. The man power is from retired Defence Service Personnel, with a core team of

serving Army officers, Junior Commissioned Officers and Non- Commissioned officers. The unit in Kodagu

could take up the following key tasks:• [i] Forest protection- Prevention of poaching and illegal

logging• [ii] Identification and reporting of any fresh forest

encroachments

Kodagu ESA proposals: Ecological Territorial Army Unit

• [iii] Rejuvenation of degraded forest land- this should include the important task of phasing out teak monoculture in the eastern belt forests of Kodagu and planting indigenous tree species

• [iv]Raising nurseries for saplings of indigenous tree

68

• [iv]Raising nurseries for saplings of indigenous tree species- The saplings should also be made available to the local farmers at reasonable rates. This would go a long way in reintroducing local tree varieties in the coffee estates. At present, the tree diversity in the coffee estates is being adversely affected due to monoculture of silver oak.

• [v] Preventing and combating forest fires.

• [vi] Developing and improving water points for wildlife.•

Joint Forest Management and the

Forest Rights Act

• Community Forest Resource

regimes

69

Protected Areas

• Critical Wildlife Areas

• Ecologically Sensitive Areas around PAs

70

• SWGM:Charge more for people who wish to enter National Parks and reserves.

Joint Protected Areas Management

• BRT Hills proposal

71

Traditional Conservation Practices

• Policy options for promoting traditional conservation ethos and practices, sacred

groves, rivers, ponds

72

Human- Wildlife Conflict

• Kodagu ESA proposals

• Providing funds and resources for mitigation of Human elephant conflict.

73

Village Industries and Handicrafts

• VGKK experiences of developing forest based enterprises

• Bamboo, cane

74

Organized Industry

• Kodagu ESA proposals

• Only non-polluting industries to be permitted

• Setting up agro/plantation based industries in Kodagu, such as coffee and pepper processing plants, fruit

canning units, etc.

75

canning units, etc.

• SWGM:

• No polluting Industries on West Coast, for their emissions directly affect flora and hence fauna ,

denuding the Western Ghats; it will also affect health and even psyche of people.

• Goa Golden Jubilee Development Council

• Proposed environmentally benign industrial activities

Mining

• Kodagu ESA proposals

• No fresh licenses should be issued for mining or quarrying. Renewal of existing

leases will be subject to approval from the

76

leases will be subject to approval from the monitoring committee.

• SWGM:

• No mining to be permitted in any part of Western Ghats

Power (Brain storming inputs: Amit to organize

the material)

• Demand side and supply side management

• Power generation

• Power transmission

77

• Power transmission

• Conservation

• Any party wishing to use air conditioning should be obliged to do so only using

power generated through solar panels, put up at their own cost

Power

• SWGM:

• No new dams or tail race projects.

• Run of the river projects to be encouraged so also small power stations.

78

so also small power stations.

• Other energy systems that could be encouraged would be biomass based

• Generate energy from sewage, water hyacinth, waste from food processing

plants

TourismSWGM:

Strengthen and promote (by not allowing 5 star establishments ) Home based Eco-tourism

Kodagu ESA proposals[a] Constitution of a tourism regulatory body

[b] A cap on issue of licenses for construction of any new tourist

79

[b] A cap on issue of licenses for construction of any new tourist resort or expansion of existing facilities, until a complete review

is carried out with regard to carrying capacity and effects of tourism.

[c] Formulation of a tourism master plan by the regulatory body[d] A total ban on new tourist resorts within ten km of Protected

Areas[e] A review of the Karnataka Tourism development policy with

regard to areas in the Western Ghats.

Transport and Communication

SWGM:

No more Airports. Growth of Mobile

towers should be restricted.

Kodagu ESA proposals

80

Kodagu ESA proposals

Kodagu is a hilly area with extremely high rain fall.

It is therefore necessary to give due importance

to land stability during construction of roads as

well as buildings. There is also a need to

prevent proliferation of mines and quarries.

Human Settlements

• Shelter: Promote green architecture, rain water harvesting

• Domestic Energy

• Drinking Water: Strongly discourage use of individual plastic bottles

81

individual plastic bottles

• Sanitation

• Solid waste disposal: Compulsory segregation of garbage

• Ban use of plastic carry-bags

• Toxic and biomedical wastes: Disposal into ground water

Human Setlements

• Kodagu ESA proposals

• All cities and towns must have proper sewage treatment facilities. At present, untreated raw

sewage is released directly into rivers and streams that feed the tributaries to River Cauvery.

82

that feed the tributaries to River Cauvery.

• Proper garbage and disposal and waste management facilities must be set up in the cities

and towns

• Bio-medical waste- Proper bio medical waste management facilities must be made mandatory for

both government and private hospitals

Nutrition

• Loss of wild edible plants

• Loss of fish, traditionally hunted wild animals

83

animals

Should culling of wild pigs be legalised?

Health

• Breathing in dust day in and day out

• Polluted waters – even ground water

• Food with pesticide, heavy metal residues

• Choked traffic, accidents

84

• Choked traffic, accidents

• What are the policy options?

Health

Kodagu ESA proposals

• Setting up health care centers in remote areas to provide in-situ affordable health

85

areas to provide in-situ affordable health care to communities in and around forest

areas of Kodagu

Education

• Promote student activities to monitor local environmental parameters and create a

public, transparent database

• Promote environmentally positive action

86

• Promote environmentally positive action by students, going beyond tree planting

Science and technology

• Promote green technologies

• Case study: Kerala

87

• Case study: Kerala

• Promote Citizen Science

• Australian River Watch model

Managing information

• Follow the lead of Goa Regional Plan 2021, that has put together an excellent

GIS database, pulling together information from diverse agencies, could be used in

many ways, e.g. to identify mine degraded

88

many ways, e.g. to identify mine degraded areas outside mining leases; or to identify

encroachments in riverine areas

• Government agencies should proactively disclose information as required by RTI

Managing information

• No information is currently available on vital issues such as natural springs

• Potential valuable role of student projects

• Need to create publicly accessible,

89

• Need to create publicly accessible, transparent, participatory database on

environmental resources,

Institutional arrangements

• Political Institutions

• Gandhian ideal of self-governing local communities

• Democratic devolution: Operationalizing 73rd and 74th Amendments of the Constitution

90

and 74th Amendments of the Constitution

• Social audits

• Engaging people in planning and monitoring of environmental resources

• Participatory monitoring programmes like Paryavaran Vahini

• Put in place a grievance redressal system

Legal and administrative provisions

towards Environmental Protection

• Case studies of Environmental Impact Analyses, Public Hearing process,

Environmental Clearances and Environmental Management Plans:

91

Environmental Management Plans: Lavasa, Rivan, Devpan, Gundia,

Atharapally

Legal and administrative provisions

towards Environmental Protection

Case studies of Forest Clearances: Goa

Case studies of pollution control measures

• Lote MIDC

• Ore transport in Goa

92

• Ore transport in Goa

Reforms desired

Towards social harmony

• Tailoring economic growth to carrying capacity

• Carrying capacity can go up through technological, social innovations

• Promote an inclusive approach towards environmental protection

93

environmental protection

• Mines and other industries to proactively disclose all environmentally and socially

pertinent information

• No mine- or any such activity- to be allowed to continue if rules are flouted

• Environmental ombudsman

Western Ghats Ecology Authority

• Should be a Statutory Authority authorized to take actions under Section 5 of

Environmental Protection Act, 1986

• State level organization?

94

• State level organization?