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Journalism of Courage
As the cluster of 39 sites in the Western Ghats received the World Heritage Site tag on Monday,experts have questioned the logic behind listing the already-protected patches and not giving representation to some of the most sensitive areas like Konkan and Goa where mining and other development activities pose threat to the ecology.
The decision on tagging these 39 sites including areas from Kerala,Tamil Nadu,Karnataka and Maharashtra was taken at the ongoing World Heritage Committee meeting in Russia.
Kerala has the maximum tags as 20 of the sites are from the state,followed by Karnataka,Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra with 10,five and four sites,respectively.
Madhav Gadgil,chairman of the Western Ghats Ecology Experts Panel WGEEP,said,One of the most glaring aspects is that no representation has been given to Goa and Konkan that have very important national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. I have been speaking to people from Goa after this declaration. They told me of inclusion of sites from neighbouring Karnataka and Maharashtra but said there was no mention of parks in Goa. Same is the case with Konkan which has ecologically sensitive tiger corridors. He added,The number of tigers from Goa is never published. Both Konkan and Goa have extensive mining activity that have obscene profit levels. This definitely puts a question mark on what criteria of exclusion was used and whose interests were taken into consideration.
He also pointed that while the dossier was being prepared for the second time to be submitted to WHC,the WGEEP was never consulted.
Mumbai-based activist Stalin Dayanad,who has been working against mining activity in Konkan and Goa,said,I think this list needs a revision. Forests in Goa are no less important than neighbouring Anshi-Dandeli in Karnataka. Rather they need to be urgently protected on the backdrop increasing number of mining leases being granted in the area. Forty new mining leases have been granted in Sindhudurg district,which is one of the most important wildlife corridor in the Ghats.
Suniti S R of National Alliance of Peoples Movements,who have been fighting against the Lavasa Lake City project,says,Questions must be asked about the new notifications from the governments about similar hill city projects,which will not only be bending environment related rules but also completely destroying the livelihood of the local farmers.
