Friday, November 22, 2013

Kasturirangan's Report-A Nightmare To Idukki


Idukki,"The Eden Garden Of God's Own Country" now-a-days facing a big crisis.Recommendations of the Madhav Gadgil and Kasturirangan panels on Western Ghats preservation had put the people of Idukki and other Ecologically Sensitive Areas in a difficult situation. Recommendations of the Madhav Gadgil and Kasturirangan panels on Western Ghats preservation had put the people of Idukki and other Ecologically Sensitive Areas in a difficult situation. UDF Government in Kerala led by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy  decided to form an experts' committee to prepare the state's response on the issue sought by the Centre.The Union Forest and Environment Ministry has sought the state's response on the recommendations of the two panels on protecting the biodiversity hotspot, which is running through several states.Kerala's consistent position has been that it is difficult for it to accept the Gadgil report as much of the Ecologically Eensitive Areas (ESAs) identified by it are highly populated in the case of the state especially in Idukki district.Both UDF and the LDF have expressed their anxieties over the difficulties faced by people living on the slopes of the western Ghats in carrying out farming and other livelihood activities, especially in Idukki and Wayanad districts, if the Western Ghats report is implemented.According to the  Kasturirangan report, parts of Idukki and Wayanad would come under the definition of ESA, where human activity would have to be drastically curbed to protect the biodiversity hotspot from further assault.The Chief Minister says that 123 villages in these areas would come under the definition of ESA.He assured the people of Kerala that environment should be protected without causing any difficulties to people living on the slopes of Western Ghats for generations.