Govt panel to review Gadgil panel report

The government has decided to form a high-level committee to review the recommendations of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel report and possibly find ways to implement what the new committee recommends

The government has decided to form a high-level committee to review the recommendations of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel WGEEP report and possibly find ways to implement what the new committee recommends.

Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan said that the new panel,yet to be constituted,would have representatives from relevant ministries along with her own ministry,the six states of Western Ghats,and independent experts. We have received a lot of comments from stakeholders on the WGEEP report. Now the new panel will look at the recommendations to review the whole thing. It requires consultations with states,which we will do, she said.

Ever since the ministry made it public upon a court order,the WGEEP report,also known as the Gadgil committee report with ecologist Madhav Gadgil chairing the committee had received more than 2,000 comments till last Friday,the last date for the submission of public comments.

States have,by and large,rejected the WGEEP recommendations saying they were impractical and in many cases seek to violate states rights over their natural resources. Kerala has criticised the report while Tamil Nadu is yet to reply.

The panels recommendations include closure of old dams,turning almost the entire Western Ghats into a no-go area for mining activities and a ban on any eco-tourism in many parts.

Sources said the new panel is likely to have representations from mining,water resources,tourism ministries. With such heavy resistance from states and other stakeholders over the recommendations,the government will accept the report only after a review.

Translate report into local languages

Madhav Gadgil wants his report to be published in local languages so that people around the Western Ghats can read and understand it. The report is published only in English,which common people cannot understand. It should be translated into all regional languages making easy for the people to read it, Gadgil told PTI in an interview.