A proposal from Karnataka Government plans to set up master plan and temporarily bans any changes in land use pattern existing in the western ghats region so as to protect ecological sensitive area while still maintaining presence of the current villages and towns within the area.
Actually, this master plan is a middle path thought by the government to help it comply with Kasturi Rangan report and protect biodiversity of ESA without displacing or restricting access of residents living there. Livelihood related activities.
A department note signed by Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre indicated that recent Wayanad landslides, melting Himalayan glaciers and Himachal Pradesh floods were natural disasters which are necessary for environment protection against further “human development activities.”
Kandel gave examples of Kodagu and Himachal Pradesh landslides that were caused by allowing land use change leading to habitats sprouting up on hills and forests resulting into disastrous outcomes.
“This calls for consensus among all players including Ministry of Forestry considering the above natural crisis and urban/rural areas surrounding Western Ghats parts in Karnataka,” said Kandel in his proposal. The government, revenue department, urban development department (including municipal administration department) and panchayati raj department will implement the master plan as per new regional regulations on land use pattern,” he added.
“…until such time as new regional regulations come into effect; they have put any change in land use on hold” (Western Ghats).
The development of a master plan does not necessitate any amendments to be done upon existing laws but rather when relevant authorities shall have been made confidence then implementation can begin at the earliest possible opportunity. “Once every town’s/village’s boundary is drawn here ,everything else will officially become green zone.” Officials said that apart from farming other activities are not allowed within this territory.”
The idea behind the master plan is basically a trade-off between conserving habitat while allowing inhabitants to go about their daily business and also to resist further encroachment such as illegal homestays and resorts.
Another forest department official said this will protect the environment and help avoid evictions within the scope of the proposed ESA.
