Western Ghats: NGT rap for Forest Ministry

“In variance to the stand taken by the MoEF in the last hearing, the counsel appearing for MoEF, upon instructions from Dy Director, MoEF, has stated that Dr Kasturirangan report has been accepted by MoEF and the draft notification has been issued in furtherance thereto and the WGEEP (Gadgil report) is not to be processed by the Ministry any further,” said the tribunal.

Irked by the change in stance, the NGT bench said before proceeding any further, it was ‘appropriate’ that a ‘definite stand is taken by the MoEF’. It also rapped the Ministry for filing an affidavit with ‘vague language’ and directed its secretary to file a fresh one within a week.

The NGT said, “In the affidavit which has been brought before the tribunal today, a vague language has been used which suggests that objections may be filed by any person interested on the proposals contained in the draft notification, including those relating to the area proposed to be brought under the regulation,” the bench said.

The MoEF in its affidavit said some state governments wished to demarcate the economically sensitive area through mapping on the ground and the MoEF had written to the respective state governments in June 2014 for undertaking this demarcation. The Ministry is yet to recieve any proposal from state governments, it said. The affidavit added that it had given additional time to the state governments of Western Ghat region, barring Kerala, till December 15 to submit their proposal.

On August 27, in an affidavit filed before the NGT, MoEF had informed that it was examining recommendations of Kasturirangan panel and would not process the Gadgil report for further action. Gadgil panel in its report dated August 31, 2011 has designated the entire Western Ghats as an ecologically-sensitive area and divided the region in three categories according to ecological sensitivities. It had recommended that no mining should be allowed in the Western Ghats in Goa.