Concerns over the Western Ghats

The seventh draft notification issued by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests on the protection of the Western Ghats has once again raised concerns among people living in Kerala’s hilly regions. Kerala has strongly opposed the proposal to declare 9,993.7 square kilometres across 131 villages in the state as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA). There can be no compromise on environmental protection, as failures in this regard could lead to severe natural disasters. At the same time, environmental protection should not come at the cost of the livelihoods of lakhs of people living in agricultural and inhabited areas. Therefore, the positions of both the Centre and Kerala are equally important in this matter.

Considering Kerala’s high population density and unique terrain, the state government had recommended limiting the ESA to 8,590.69 square kilometres of forest areas in 98 villages, completely excluding inhabited and agricultural areas. However, the Centre has rejected this proposal and wants the earlier extent to remain unchanged. If the Centre’s proposal is implemented as it is, it could be a major setback for people living in the hilly areas of Idukki, Wayanad and Malappuram districts. The farmlands that generations of Kerala farmers have developed through years of hard work could effectively be taken away from them, putting their livelihoods at risk. Kerala has also pointed out that boundaries drawn solely on the basis of satellite images have, in several places, wrongly classified inhabited areas as forest land. This is an issue that needs to be examined seriously.

Once an area is declared ecologically sensitive, large-scale construction activities will not be permitted there. Mining and quarrying will also be completely banned. The requirement of approval from the Union Environment Ministry for changes to agricultural land, construction of houses and road development, among other activities, could bring these areas to a standstill and create further difficulties. Therefore, the state government is making efforts to resubmit its proposal to exclude inhabited and agricultural areas, along with accurate satellite and field survey data. The demand of political parties, farmers’ organisations and people in the hilly regions that forest areas should be protected without displacing people cannot be dismissed as unreasonable.

At the same time, protecting the Western Ghats is essential for Kerala’s very survival. The natural disasters witnessed in recent years have underlined this need. Therefore, it is necessary to find a balanced solution between the Centre’s proposal and Kerala’s demands. Kerala must secure a clear assurance that the land, homes and livelihoods of farmers will be protected. At the same time, stricter controls may be necessary on activities such as quarrying. Final decisions should be taken only after separately studying and assessing the unique characteristics, farming practices, population density and water resources of each village. What we need is a solution that allows environmental protection and human life to coexist.