Bengaluru, September 21 (Daily Kiran) : Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader R. Ashok addressed concerns regarding the implementation of the Kasturirangan report during a special assembly session in Bengaluru on September 21. He stated that the central government has issued a notification to enforce the report in accordance with the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) orders, clarifying that this is not a voluntary decision.
Ashok advised the state government to conduct ground surveys and appoint competent lawyers to effectively represent their case in court. He warned that the report’s implementation could lead to significant hardships for farmers across Karnataka.
He criticized Congress ministers for claiming that the order originated from the Prime Minister, asserting that there should be no political maneuvering around this issue. Ashok clarified that the directive was based on court instructions rather than a decision by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.
He suggested that Karnataka should adopt the Kerala model, where the state government identified plantations and homes through ground surveys and submitted its findings to the NGT and the central government. This approach helped reduce the scope of ecologically sensitive areas (ESA).
According to Ashok, the Kasturirangan report identifies 1,576 villages and an area of 20,668 square kilometers in Karnataka as ecologically sensitive, the highest among all states. He pointed out that satellite imagery inaccurately categorized fields and coffee plantations as forests, creating problems for millions of farmers across ten districts.
The BJP leader highlighted the lack of coordination between the forest and revenue departments, which has hindered road construction in villages. He noted that if a bridge collapses during the monsoon, repairs cannot be made promptly, and issues arise in providing electricity connections. He warned that if the forest department creates buffer zones, the problems will only escalate.
Ashok urged the state government to prepare a ground survey report and submit it to the central government and the NGT. He also called for the appointment of environmental law experts to advocate effectively in the Supreme Court.
He cautioned that if the state government does not take timely action, the NGT may instruct the central government to enforce the report. Referring to the significance of the Western Ghats, Ashok explained that this region spans 164,280 square kilometers across six states, absorbs 40 million tons of carbon, and is home to eight biodiversity hotspots and over 325 species.
He recalled the Madhav Gadgil committee’s recommendations for stringent restrictions established in 2010, which led to the formation of the Kasturirangan committee after public opposition. This committee suggested designating 37 percent of the area (59,940 square kilometers) as ecologically sensitive.
Ashok mentioned that the Goa Foundation has been persistently advocating for the implementation of the Gadgil report and has approached the Supreme Court regarding this matter. The NGT has instructed that no changes be made to the 2017 notification, and the central government has issued multiple notifications in accordance with the tribunal’s directives. He also noted that the central government has formed a committee headed by Sanjay Kumar, which will operate until 2027.
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