Government prepares to notify Western Ghats eco sensitive areas in at least three states
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500+ questions on Environment with explanations
📌 Summary:
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Twelve years after its first draft (2014), the Centre is ready to finalise and notify Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA) in the Western Ghats — initially only in the three states where issues are largely resolved
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Over 56,000 sq km across six states are proposed as ESA, based on the 2013 recommendations of the K Kasturirangan-led high-level working group
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Banned/restricted activities in ESA: new mining and quarrying, thermal power plants, red-category (most-polluting) industries, and large construction projects (built-up area 20,000 sq m or above)
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State positions: Gujarat, Goa and Maharashtra have largely agreed; Tamil Nadu has no major divergence (6,914 sq km proposed); Kerala wants its area further reduced and Karnataka questions the whole exercise
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Shift in approach: unlike earlier attempts to notify all states together, the Centre will now notify state-by-state; the 6th draft (2024, valid till July 27, 2026) proposed 56,825.7 sq km, down from ~60,000 sq km originally identified
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Significance: a final notification gives legal teeth under the Environment Protection Act, 1986; the Western Ghats is a UNESCO World Heritage site, one of eight "hottest biodiversity hotspots", influences the monsoon and is the source of rivers like Krishna, Godavari and Cauvery (the "water tower of peninsular India")
🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 — biodiversity conservation, ESA regulation, EPA 1986, and Centre-State friction in environmental federalism
📝 Prelims Facts:
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ESA recommendations based on the K Kasturirangan committee (2013); earlier Gadgil panel preceded it
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Western Ghats: UNESCO World Heritage site; one of eight global biodiversity hotspots
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Source of west-flowing and peninsular rivers (Krishna, Godavari, Cauvery, Mandovi, Periyar, Sharavathi)
🔑 Key Term: Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) — region notified under the Environment Protection Act, 1986 where ecologically damaging activities are banned or restricted
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