Report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel - Part II : Actionable points for the WGEA

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Opinion
       18/11/2018
                1548.

SUB : Report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel - Part II : Actionable points for the WGEA


REF : Actionable points for the WGEA :-


The (proposed) Western Ghats Ecology Authority (WGEA) can take a strong recommendatory and advisory role in this regard. Some of the important recommendations for WGEA are:


1. Declare origins of rivers as Ecologically Sensitive Localities (ESLs) (the catchment area)

2. Many projects in the Western Ghats are on-going or completed with violations in environmental clearance and forest clearance or even no clearances at all, as in the case of the Kalu and Shai dams in Maharashtra. The WGEA should act as an additional layer for screening projects approved by the Expert Appraisal Committees (EACs), subject them to additional scrutiny in terms of the geographical context, ecological sensitivity, status of river basin and need for environmental flows taking into consideration all season flows instead of ad hoc allocations.

3. Till the WGEA comes into operation, issue a moratorium on all on-going projects like dams and mines that can impact upon water resources in a substantial way. The WGEA should subject the projects to scrutiny for mandatory clearances and compliances, and augment the level of public consultation before deciding on whether to allow them to progress or not.

4. No more inter-basin diversions of rivers shall be allowed in the Western Ghats.

5. Take up sample river basins in each state and recommend to the State Governments to carry out : -


* Environment flow assessments involving social movements for river protection, research institutions, NGOs along with communities to put in place indicators for environmental flow assessment.

* Assessment of downstream impacts of dams on river ecology, flood plains, fishing habitats, livelihoods, etc.

*Salinity intrusion mapping so as to suggest improved flows in future.

* Improve reservoir operations management in dammed rivers to improve meeting of water needs of downstream populations. Put proper monitoring of reservoir operations in place involving downstream local self-governments and departments.

* Update and upgrade hydrological databases in rivers and consolidate the ecological database and information at river basin level.

* Based on the consolidation of databases, declare high conservation value stretches of rivers as ESAs and keep them free them from further development.


6. Recommend to State Governments to take up decentralised bottom–up river basin planning with restoration built into the plans.

7. River Basin Planning should be supported by suitable legal institutions that are capable of integrating different departments which are presently dealing with or impacting on the rivers in a compartmentalized manner. Put in place river basin organizations adapted to the State’s administrative context.

8. All new projects in the Western Ghats (dams, mines, tourism, housing, etc. that impact upon water resources) should be subject to cumulative impact assessment and should not exceed the carrying capacity.

9. Stronger and stricter laws for regulation of sand mining to be developed

10. Recommend the decommissioning of dams that have outlived their utility, are underperforming, and have silted up beyond acceptable standards, etc.

NEXT : Box 2: Kalu dam : Submission from Indavi Tulpule, Surekha Dalvi and Parineeta Dandekar.

To be continued ...

JAIHIND
VANDE MATARAM


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