**"Report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel - Part I - 10. ESZ assignment :-" Continued ...

Opinion
   20/09/2018
            1408.

Sub : **"Report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel - Part I - 10. ESZ assignment :-" Continued ...

The database employs square grids of 5 minutes x 5 minute or grids ~9 km x 9 km that do not correspond either to natural features such as watersheds, or administrative units such as village or taluka boundaries. It will be clearly be desirable to put in place a system of zonation that jointly considers micro-watersheds and village boundaries to decide on specific limits of ESZ1, ESZ2 and ESZ3, as well as to arrive at a locality-specific management plan. This would be a task that will have to be initiated by the Western Ghats Ecology Authority through a broad-based participatory process when WGEA is put in place. However, as a first step, we suggest the Ministry of Environment and Forests provisionally notify the initial limits of ESZ1, ESZ2 and ESZ3 based on WGEEP analysis. This may be most appropriately done at Taluka/ Block level. With this in view, we have gone ahead and assigned ESZ1, ESZ2 and ESZ3 levels to all the 1344 talukas of Western Ghats. The assigned level to the taluka is the ESZ that covers the largest fraction of the taluka.

Tables 3 and 4 provide a summary listing of taluka assignments for all states except Goa. Appendix 2 and 3 at the end of the document provide detailed district and taluka lists.

Table 3 Proposed assignment of various Western Ghats districts to ESZ1, ESZ2 and ESZ3 State No of Districts in the WG No of Talukas assigned to ESZ1 No Talukas

The Western Ghats Ecology Authority would also have to identify the Gram Panchayats that are covered in this fashion and initiate a broad-based participatory process to decide on specific limits of ESZ1 and ESZ2, as well as to arrive at a locality-specific management plan. Box 5 refers to one such grass-root initiative. Table 5 provides the names of 25 villages in Sindhudurg district whose Gram Sabhas have submitted resolutions requesting that their Panchayat areas should be constituted as Ecologically Sensitive Localities (ESL). Box 6 contains an extract of one such resolution.

Table 5 Proposals for Ecologically Sensitive Localities (ESL) in Sindhudurg District Taluka Names of villages Dodamarg Fukeri, Kolzar, Kumbral, Sasoli, Kalne, Ugade, Zolambe, Talkat, Bhike-Konal, Dharpi Savantwadi Kesari, Dabhil, Asaniye, Padve-Majgaon, Udeli, Degve, Bhalawal, Sarmale, Otavane, Fansavade, Tamboli, Konshi, Nangar Tas, Nevali, Padve

Box 5: A grass-roots level initiative :-

A total of 25 Gram Sabhas from Sindhudurg district have passed resolutions requesting that their Panchayat areas be designated as ecologically sensitive areas. Of course, WGEEP is not in a position to verify exactly what transpired during these Gram Sabha meetings, and whether the meetings were conducted following proper procedures. Nevertheless field visits to several of these villages suggested that the resolutions have strong popular support. Notably several other Gram Panchayats in the region have passed resolutions to the contrary, namely, that they do not wish their Gram Panchayat areas to be constituted as ecologically sensitive areas. On further discussion, it turns out that people are trying to balance two evils. They feel that if their Gram Panchayat areas are constituted as ecologically sensitive areas, it would reduce the threat of completely unwelcome mining activities. At the same time they are afraid that if their Gram Panchayat areas are constituted as ecologically sensitive areas, they will come under the stranglehold of the Forest Department, which is also unwelcome. This is a classic example of the syndrome of development by exclusion, and conservation also by exclusion that plagues us today. Only when we put in its place inclusive development as well as inclusive conservation, will we be able to move in the direction of environmentally sustainable and people-friendly development. WGEEP would like to plead that we must take this route. In any event, it is notable that all the 25 Gram Panchayats that have sent in resolutions asking for their areas to be declared as ecologically sensitive areas constitute a single compact cluster that falls in the region designated as ESZ1 on the basis of DEVRAAI’s carefully compiled database.

Table 5 : Proposals for Ecologically Sensitive Localities (ESL) in Sindhudurg District :-

1. Dodamarg Taluka :

Names of villages :- Fukeri, Kolzar, Kumbral, Sasoli, Kalne, Ugade, Zolambe, Talkat, Bhike-Konal, Dharpi.

2. Savantwadi Taluka :

Names of villages :- Kesari, Dabhil, Asaniye, Padve-Majgaon, Udeli, Degve, Bhalawal, Sarmale, Otavane, Fansavade, Tamboli, Konshi, Nangar Tas, Nevali, Padve.

Box 6: Extracts from resolution of Gram Sabha of village Talkat, Taluka Dodamarg, District Sindhudurg (translated from Marathi)

It is necessary to consider the 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 bunds and small dams for water storage. Government officials have made preliminary observations and conducted background investigations in the village. That’s why it is very important to prioritise watershed development. Each wadi in the village is in need of this.

Perennial streams are present in the 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. It is needed to improve the present condition of cashew nut and areca nut orchards. In the areas where forest and enough water sources for horticulture are not present, we can develop agro-forestry dependent on rainwater. We require training and funds from the government for this.

At present we don’t have a plant nursery. We can develop one indigenous plant nursery for the 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 the village as a tourist place.

Human–Wildlife conflict: Location of Talkat village is near to the forest. Orchards are surrounded by forest. The forest area in the village is blessed with rich wildlife as it is a part of the forest between Amboli-Tillari. We are living with this wildlife for many years. But these days we are facing nuisance from monkeys, sambar, elephant and leopards. While preparing a 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 the development plan of our Ecologically Sensitive Area. We are ready to do it. Because projects like mining are hazardous for our life as well as will destroy our income source. Instead of such projects we would like to have our village located in an Ecologically Sensitive Area.

NEXT : 11. Existing ESZs: Lessons Learnt

To be continued ..

JAIHIND
VANDEMATHARAM