Report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel - Part I -2. Introduction, 3. Mandate of the Panel :-

Opinion
   12/09/2018
            1395

Report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel - Part I -2. Introduction, 3. Mandate of the Panel :-
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2. Introduction :-

“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 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

Describing King Raghu's conquest of the four corners of India, Kalidasa likens the mountain range of Western Ghats to a comely young maiden, her head near Kanyakumari, Anaimalais and Nilgiris her breasts, Goa her hips, and her feet near river Tapi. All over the world, such mountains, endowed as they are with high levels of environmental heterogeneity, are treasure troves of natural diversity. Thus, in the Western Ghats the annual rainfall ranges from as much as 8000 mm in the southwestern corner of the upper Nilgiris to a mere 500 mm in the Moyar gorge just 30 km to its east. In contrast, the annual rainfall spans a range of no more than 1000 mm over hundreds of kilometers across the Deccan plateau. Mountains also create isolated habitats far away from other similar habitats, promoting local speciation. Hence distinct species of the flowering plant Rhododendron and the mountain tahr goat Hemitragus occur on the higher reaches of the Western Ghats and Himalayas, with a large gap in the distribution of these genera in between. Moreover, mountains, being less hospitable to human occupation, retain much larger areas under natural or semi-natural biological communities. This is why the Western Ghats and the Eastern Himalayas are today the most significant repositories of India's biodiversity. Amongst them, the Western Ghats scores over the Eastern Himalayas in harbouring a larger number of species restricted to India alone. Not only are the Western Ghats and Eastern Himalayas biological treasure troves, they are also two of the world's biodiversity hot spots, a hot spot being a biodiversity-rich area that is also under a high degree of threat.

3. Mandate of the Panel :-

In view of the environmental sensitivity and ecological significance of the Western Ghats region and the complex interstate nature of its geography, as well as possible impacts of climate change on this region, the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, constituted, by an order dated 4 March 2010, a Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) (Appendix A ).

The Panel was asked to perform the following functions : -

(i) To assess the current status of ecology of the Western Ghats region.

(ii) To 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 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. In doing so, the Panel shall review the existing reports such as the Mohan Ram Committee Report, Hon’ble Supreme Court’s decisions, recommendations of the National Board for Wildlife and consult all concerned State Governments.

(iii) To 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.

(iv) To 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.

(v) To 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.

(vi) To 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.

(vii) The Ministry has subsequently asked the Panel to include in its mandate (a) the entire stretch of Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts, including the coastal region, and to specifically examine the (b) Gundia and (c) Athirappilly Hydroelectric projects. (d) recommendations with regard to the moratorium on new mining licenses in Goa.

To be continued ..

JAIHIND

VANDEMATHARAM