Defying Gadgil sunk Kerala

Committee had recommended ban on mining activities 7 years ago but State Govt flouted it

Majority of the areas deluged in this year’s monsoon flood in Kerala were cited as fragile by the Madhav Gadgil Committee report seven years ago, recommending a complete ban on mining, construction activities and use of land for non-forest purposes.

But the report of the committee, known as the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), was junked by the policymakers, leading to current devastation, particularly in the Western Ghats of Kerala.

The broader contours of the Western Ghats span across Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Goa, and Gujarat.  As per Met department, Kerala received 2226.4 mm rainfall till August 18 against the normal of 1620 mm this monsoon.

The committee had said Mandakol, Panathadi, Paithal Mala, Brahmagiri-Thirunelli,  Wayanad, Banasura-Kuttiyadi,  Nilumbur-Mepadi, Silent Valley-New Amarambalam, Siruvani, Nelliampathy,  Peechi-Vazhani, Athirappilly-Vazhachal, Pooyamkutty Munnar, Cardamom Hills,  Periyar, Kulathupuzha, and Agasthya Mala should be considered as ecological sensitive areas and there should be complete ban on mining, construction activities and use of land for non-forest purposes.

“No new licences to be given for mining. No new polluting (red and orange category) industries; for existing industries switch to zero pollution by 2016. No new railway lines and major roads, except when highly essential,” the committee said in its report.

The committee had suggested that 1,40,000 kilometres of the Western Ghats be classified in three zones as per the requirement of environmental protection in the areas. According to report, not only Kerala but Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Goa may face a similar situation in future due rapid exploitation of the nature.

The committee pointed out that the west-flowing shorter rivers (Sharavathi, Periyar) have been dammed at several places and river flows has been completely diverted at Mullaperiyar and Parambikulam dams involving Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

“West-Kerala State Biodiversity Board flowing rivers have been virtually made into east-flowing rivers by violating all natural laws. In the case of inter-basin water diversions, absolutely no natural flows or even ‘minimum flows’, leave alone environmental flows, are left below the dams.

In Mullaperiyar dam, the main tributary of Periyar has been completed diverted to the Vaigai basin in the east.

Idukki dam does not even have a spillway for allowing monsoon spills into the river. Idukki dam is a case wherein the entire catchment was encroached along with dam construction,” the committee report said.

It is also proposed to constitute areas up to ten kilometres from the boundaries of Protected Areas such as Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks as Ecological Sensitive Zones (ESZs) /Ecological Sensitive Areas (ESAs). In general, a minimum horizontal distance of 500 m at both ends of a slope is recommended as a buffer zone.

There need be no rigid regulations associated with ESAs in their villages; instead they should themselves suggest an environment- and people-friendly management system that they believe to be appropriate.

The committee has proposed that a building code should be evolved by the Western Ghat Ecological Area which include inter-alia eco- friendly building material and construction methods, minimising the use of steel, cement and sand, providing water harvesting methods, non-conventional energy and waste treatment.

A study undertaken by IIT Bombay found deforestation culpable for growing ferocity of each successive monsoon. However, another committee was constituted under the leadership of former ISRO director Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan, after all six States in the Ghat objected to the previous committee’s recommendations.

The second committee took a lenient view towards the problems of those living in the hills. The zones considered for the study were reclassified and the land labelled as ecologically sensitive was reduced to 64 per cent from 37.