THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Greens activists and votaries of sustainable development have hit the refresh button, urging the new LDF Government to adopt a Cabinet resolution in support of the “green agenda for socio-economic, cultural and environmental security”. The focus is on strategising on most viable methods for the protection of Western Ghats, incorporating scientific elements in reports of Prof Madhav Gadgil, Dr Kasturirangan and Prof Oommen V Oommen but without jeopardizing lives of farmlands, farmers, settlers and tribal people.
Former State Biodiversity Board chairman, Prof V S Vijayan, pointed out that the mix-up of ecologically fragile land (EFL), associated with forest protection, and ecologically sensitive area (ESA) endangered both nature and humans. ESA is a bioclimatic unit (as demarcated by entire landscapes) in the Western Ghats, impacted by human habitation. Its restoration is crucial.
The exclusion of every private holding from the 123 villages from the ESA and thus denying them benefits of ESA was for the sake of protecting the quarry mafia, he said, warning that administrative delays would further accelerate Western Ghats degradation. This has a direct bearing on rising temperatures and resource crunch, especially water shortage.
“If Alwar in Rajasthan, with 500 mm annual rainfall can manage its drinking water needs, why should Kerala with an annual rainfall of 3,500 mm experience drinking water shortage. I pose this question because it points to our neglect of natural resources. Our upkeep depends on Western Ghats”, said Prof Vijayan.
He is upset with politicians and policy-makers for ignoring a green agenda, mooted by a committee, headed by him. The committee had framed a charge-sheet on omissions and commissions of the UDF ministry.
“Some of the glaring examples of development initiatives unmindful of the impacts on the local community and environment were tampering with paddy and wetland conservation act of 2008, favouring accelerated filling of wetlands and paddy land for the benefit of a few, violation of Coastal Zone Regulation act for skyscrapers in the banned area and disappearance of files related to violators and amendment of Mining Act to circumvent NGT’s orders that sand mining requires environmental clearance”, according to the committee .
The priority is to recover all paddy land converted post-2008, map existing paddy land within six months and announce paddy reserve on the lines of forest reserve. Environment cannot be seen in isolation. The objective of development is “ensuring clean air, water, soil, and food; a house to live, job security, basic education, basic health protection, social and cultural security,
and energy security for every citizen”.
