Report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel - Part II : Actionable points for the WGEA : 2.12 Science and Technology
Opinion
09/12/2018
1597.
Sub : Report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel - Part II : Actionable points for the WGEA : 2.12 Science and Technology :
Ref : 2.12 - Science and Technology :
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2.12 - Science and Technology :
In general, the contributions from the Science and Technology sector in solving environmental issues are found wanting. Eco-friendly technologies in various sectors have not been developed and even the available technologies have not been applied or popularised, to the full extent. There is need to insist on ‘Green Technology’ to be implemented, wherever possible in the Western Ghats region.
Through some of the R&D Centres/ Universities have developed eco-friendly technologies, they do not get the desired attention and are not being utilised or transferred in an effective manner.
The institutional mechanisms have to be strengthened to transfer the technologies developed at ISRO/ DST/ DBT and other centres of excellence in the country and State Science and Technology Institutions.
2.12.1- Issues of Concern :
Scientific inputs are lacking in environmental resource management/ sustainable utilisation of resources.
No integration between R&D Centres, Universities and other scientific organisations both at Centre and State level in addressing environmental issues.
Some of the useful technical reports/ theses from various R&D centres and Universities related to application of technology in solving environmental problems are not made
available for evaluation under practical situations.
Modern technologies are not used in solving environmental issues.
There is lack of R&D in providing alternatives to the use of nature resources for construction purposes
Green technologies for various sectors are not developed or used.
Mechanisation in agriculture and material handling is absent or low.
There is an absence of technologies for value added products.
There is lack of proven / effective methods of pest and vector control which use biological means.
Modern technologies like remote sensing and GIS are not being properly utilised in natural resource management.
Solid waste treatment, plastic recycling and disposal are inadequate
e-waste management in the IT sector is lacking.
2.12.2 - Measures for Mitigation/Improvement :
Promote green technologies in various sectors (housing, energy, agriculture) and encourage investments in this area.
Develop sophisticated technologies in the following areas and / or transfer the existing technology for wider use and application:
(i) recovery of petroleum from plastics
(ii) Evaluate the potential of bio fuels; wood gasification technology to meet fuel needs
(iii) Biological control of pests and diseases
(iv) Use of Remote Sensing and GIS in natural resource management and to develop local level plans
(v) Adopt, adapt or modify existing technologies to suit local conditions
Reduce the energy intensity of production and focus on sectors which are more efficient in the use of energy, water and natural resources.
Make water harvesting compulsory and also use of solar energy wherever possible.
Collate database on Science and Technology-based innovations on the environment and take steps to improve capacity building at local level using these technologies.
Accessibility of Science and Technology benefits is now available only to a group of privileged class and measures to initiate action to receive these benefits in a more broad- based manner to be evolved.
Adopt mechanisation in agriculture and other sectors to reduce pressure on human labour (which is costlier/ unavailable in some places) and making it available at local levels.
Enforce improved technology in the industrial units and mines to check effluent emission.
Enhance the efficiency of existing technologies in controlling pollution of air, water and soil and conserve the biodiversity.
2.12.3 - Action points for WGEA :
A separate cell should be set up within WGEA to look into transfer of technology of usable technologies and promote ‘green technologies’ under various sectors in the Western Ghats’ region.
Adopt ‚polluter pays‛ principle and generate income to fund R&D centres on developing eco-friendly technologies.
Come up with a ‘vision statement’ to enhance the science and technology capacity to provide ecologically, economically and socially viable solutions with emphasis on conservation of biodiversity.
Promote green technologies
Promote Citizen Science
Adopt the Australian River Watch model
2.12.4 - Managing information :-
Follow the lead of Goa Regional Plan 2021, that has put together an excellent GIS database, pulling together information from diverse agencies, and that could be used in 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
No information is currently available on vital issues such as natural springs
Potential valuable role of student projects
Need to create publicly accessible, transparent, participatory database on environmental resources,
NEXT : 2.13 - Nutrition and Health :
To be continued ...
NOTE :
FEW SPECIAL MEDIA REPORTS : NGT asks states to save ecology of Western Ghats;
1. NGT puts curbs on Western ghats States : THE HINDU
The six Western Ghats States, including Kerala, have been restrained by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) from giving environmental clearance to activities that may adversely impact the eco-sensitive areas of the mountain ranges.
The panel directed that the extent of Eco-Sensitive Zones of Western Ghats, which was notified by the Central government earlier, should not be reduced in view of the recent floods in Kerala.
The Madhav Gadgil-led Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) report had created a political furore in the State with most of the political parties and a section of the church opposing it. The Tribunal Bench, in its order, noted that any alteration in the draft notification of zones may seriously affect the environment, especially in view of recent incidents in Kerala. It was on a petition filed by the Goa Foundation that the Bench issued the order.
Re-publish draft notification :
The Principal Bench of the panel, which permitted the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEF and CC) to re-publish the draft notification on Eco-Sensitive Zones, which expired on August 26, ordered that the matter may be finalised within six months. It also ordered that the draft of the republished notification be placed on the record of the tribunal. The Bench was headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and had Justice S.P. Wangdi, and Nagin Nanda, expert member, as its members.
Pulling up the ghats States for the delay in filing objections regarding the notification, the tribunal observed that the “delay on account of objections of States may not be conducive to the protection of the eco-sensitive areas” and the matter must be finalised at the earliest.
The WGEEP had earlier proposed “much larger areas for being included in the eco-sensitive zone” though the Kasturirangan-led High Level Working Group, also appointed by the MoEF and CC to look into the WGEEP report, had reduced it. The Ministry had accepted the Kasturirangan report and issued the draft notifications on ecologically sensitive zones.
2. Western Ghats: The green gold of India : INDIA WATER PORTAL
The Western Ghats is one of the eight hotspots of biological diversity in the world and is spread across six states—Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The forests in the Western Ghats are the water towers of peninsular India. As many as 58 major rivers originate here, including the sacred Godavari, the Cauvery and the Krishna.
In the last six decades, the forest cover in the Western Ghats has been severely fragmented due to human activities. People started clearing the forest for growing tea and coffee and for teak plantations. With an increase in human activity and urbanisation, a whopping 40 percent of the original forests is lost in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
The ghats not only sustain 50 million people, but they are also home to about 4000 species of flowering plants, 645 species of evergreen trees, about 120 species of mammals, 500 species of birds and many reptiles, butterflies and fishes.
To understand the worth of the forests in the ghats, a team of experts from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru and Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai visited the forests and studied the villages in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka. The results of their findings were astounding. Just one square km of forest in Uttara Kannada provides close to Rs 7.38 million worth of timber, about Rs 1.1 million worth of fuelwood and Rs 3.2 million worth of medicinal plants and fruits. Add to that, the recreational benefits from Dandeli and Anshi protected areas which are part of a tiger reserve are worth about Rs 11.37 billion. If all these benefits come from just a portion of the forest, then one can imagine the value of over 1,29,000 sq km of the Western Ghats!
Putting an economic value on goods and services provided by these forests will aid in their conservation as economic valuation is found to be a powerful tool to advocate and champion conservation.
Considering human lives are tightly interwoven with the ecosystem, planning any infrastructure or development projects without recognising them can be detrimental to human lives.
‘Lets Invest in Nature’ (#LetsInvestInNature) is a special series of video stories designed by the Indo-German Biodiversity Programme. It is dedicated to estimating and mainstreaming the true economic value of biodiversity in business-related decisions and policy making. Watch this short video for more information.
3. 'Don’t alter draft order to reduce ESZ in W Ghats' : THE HINDU
Noting that the ecology of the Western Ghats was under serious stress, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) restrained six states falling in the region from giving environmental clearance to activities which may adversely affect the eco-sensitive areas.
The green panel allowed the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to republish the draft notification of the Western Ghats that lapsed on August 26 and asked it to finalise the matter within six months without alterations to the eco-sensitive zone in terms of notification dated February 27, 2017
A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel slammed the states for the delay in filing objections with regard to the notification and said “delay on account of objections of states may not be conducive to the protection of the eco-sensitive areas".
The tribunal said the Western Ghats region is one of the richest biodiversity areas which needs to be conserved.
“In view of the fact that any alteration in the draft notification dated February 27, 2017 may seriously affect the environment and especially in view of recent incidents in Kerala, we direct that no changes be made to reduce the area of eco-sensitive zone in terms of notification, without the same being considered by this tribunal".
4. Public consultation on Western Ghats a sham: report : THE HINDU
Counted among the world’s top biodiversity hotspots, the Western Ghats is currently at the centre of a political battle pitting local ‘development’ needs against conservation efforts. Six States — Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat — which the forest region encompasses, were supposed to submit recommendations to the Centre on demarcating Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA) here by July 31, but only Kerala and Goa did so.
Meanwhile, a citizens’ report compiled by campaign organisation Jhatkaa released last month has exposed the sham in the name of public consultations organised by the State governments while framing recommendations. On August 3, 22 Members of Parliament who met Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar spoke overwhelmingly in favour of protecting local ‘development’ needs and demanded that activities such as sand quarrying be allowed to continue.
Colonel Muthanna, president of the Coorg Wildlife Society, who contributed to the citizens’ report, told The Hindu that 30 per cent of Kodagu comprises forests, with the area contributing 50 per cent of the total inflow into the Cauvery river. Sand mining on river banks has taken a toll on local water supply.” But early this year, when the Karnataka government held a public consultation to discuss ESA demarcation, a group of local political leaders shouted them down, not allowing them to speak. “Along with local residents, I submitted a memorandum to the sub-committee holding the hearings that we wanted the recommendations of the Madhav Gadgil committee report, giving priority to gram sabhas in the decision-making process, implemented. But the voices of the timber lobby and builder’s lobby, with high stakes in the tourist business in Kodagu, prevailed.”
A key finding of the citizen’s report is that local residents interviewed for the report knew nothing about what an ESA demarcation would entail. Many feared that if a particular village is designated as ESA, the villagers will be relocated or they will be deprived of access to basic facilities, such as water supply or electricity, though both the Madhav Gadgil Committee report and the Kasturirangan Committee report, suggest nothing of that sort.
Koraga tribe member Susheela Koraganad of Udipi is quoted in the citizen’s report as saying that the government refused to provide copies of both the Committee reports in Kannada, which might have helped them understand its recommendations better. Tania Devaiah, Jhatkaa’s online campaigner, said that both Mr. Javadekar and Environment Secretary Ashok Lavasa have not responded to the citizen’s report and the concerns raised by it. The lack of transparency in the consultation process is further exposed by the fact that the MoEF did not respond to a Right to Information query filed by Ms. Devaiah on June 17, seeking details of the ongoing consultation proceedings, despite public authorities being required to respond to RTI queries within one month from the date of receipt of the query. Despite queries made in both writing and over telephone, the MoEF did not respond to The Hindu on this subject.
***
OPINION :
1. THE TWO FRONTS OF KERALA POLITICS THE UDF - LDF AND ITS LEADING POLITICAL DENOMINATIONS CONGRESS AND COMMUNISTS ARE IGNORANT, NOT EFFICIENT, DISHONEST, LAZY BUGGERS, NOT PREPARED TO STUDY THE HIGHLY VALUED GADGIL REPORT AND DISCUSS WITH MADHAV GADGIL THE OUTSTANDING KNOWLEDGE TREASURE, TAKE HIS GUIDANCE IN IMPLEMENTING THE REPORT;
2. THE ALLIANCE PARTNERS OF THE TWO FRONTS ARE MERE FOOLS, ASSOCIATION WITH THE MAJOR PARTNER CONGRESS AND COMMUNISTS FOR PIECES OF BONES THROWN TO THEM, THESE BUGGERS CHEW THE BONES AND OTHER SUNDRY GAINS, PASS THE TIME, TO THE NEXT ELECTIONS;
3. INTERMITTENT FAVOURITE GAME, OF THESE TWO FRONTS ARE ABUSING PM MODI JI AND BJP, PROGRAMMING AGITATIONS AGAINST THE CENTRE, FOOLING THE PUBLIC;
4. NEXT IS ABUSING HINDUS, DIVIDE THEM IN CASTE BRACKETS, ALLOW CLASH AMONG THEM, ENJOY THE BLEEDING IN HINDU COMMUNITY SITTING ON THE FENCE AS VULTURES;
5. THE STUPID VELLAPULLY AND SUKUMARAN NAIR LIKES ARE THE MAJOR CURSES FOR EZHAVA AND NAIR COMMUNITIES, ANOTHER PART IS SNDP HIJACKED PIECE OF CAKE USED AS POLITICAL TOOL BY EZHAVAS AS THE NAIRS SERVICE SOCIETY;
LAST WORD :
1. WESTERN GHATS IS IN GREAT DANGER OF DESTRUCTION, IF NOT PROTECTED, PRESERVED HONESTLY, THE WHOLE KERALA WILL SUFFER, BY SLIDING OF HILLS, FLOODS, LOW RAIN FALL, SCARCITY OF WATER, DESTRUCTION OF SPECIES IN PLANT AND ANIMAL KINGDOMS, AT THE END STATE ITSELF DISAPPEAR;
2. THE PAITHRUKAM OF KERALA LOSSING, WHEN SABARIMALA IS IN THE CENTRE STAGE OF CORRUPTION, INVOLVING DEVASWOM AND GOVERNMENT, THE TEMPLE COLLECTIONS ARE BEING WASTED WITH END RESULT A PURE NON-SENSE, CONTROVERSIES STIMULATED BY MUSLIMS, CHRISTIANS, CONGRESS AND COMMUNISTS, QUESTION THE EXISTENCE OF SABARIMALA IN FUTURE, IF NOT CONTROLLED NOW AND PUT AN END;
3. THE TRUTH THE PEOPLE MUST AWAKE, AND RELIEVE THEMSELVES FROM POLITICAL CONNECTIONS, PARTICIPATE AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE HOLY LAND KERALA, WITHOUT ANY BIAS OF RELIGION, CASTE OR CREED.
REMEMBER THIS :
1. PUNJAB FLOURISHED IN AGRICULTURE BECAUSE OF GREEN REVOLUTION LEAD BY Dr. MS. SWAMINATHAN;
2. GUJARAT FLOURISHED WITH MILK BECAUSE OF WHITE ( FLOOD ) REVOLUTION LEAD BY Dr. VERGHESE KURIEN;
3. KASHMIR LOST ITS PARADISE STATUS BECAUSE KASHMIRI MUSLIM PEOPLE WHO PATRONISE TERRORISM, THE HURRIYAT, ABDULLAH AND MUFTI FAMILY POLITICS, THEIR EXPLOITATION OF GULLIBLE, IGNORANT KASHMIRIS CUM YOUTH BY HATE CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE HOLY NATION BHARATHAM;
4. NOW IT IS THE TURN OF KERALA AND ITS DIRTY POLITICS OF UDF AND LDF, MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS HIDDEN AGENDA OF RELIGIOUS CONVERSIONS, ENCROACHMENT WESTERN GHATS WITH COMMERCIAL MOTIVES, HATE CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE CENTRE GOVERNMENT AND PM MODI+BJP+RSS; A LAND OF PARASURAM AND GREAT ACHARYA OF ADVAITHAM, SWAMI SRI ADI SANKARACHARYA INTO A DESERT SOON.
JAIHIND
VANDE MATARAM
287/94
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