Western Ghats Eco-Sensitive Area: MoEFCC Issues 7th Draft Notification

Western Ghats Eco-Sensitive Area: MoEFCC Issues 7th Draft Notification

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Why in News

  • The **Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)** has issued the draft notification for the **Western Ghats Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA)** for the seventh time.
  • The government reissued this draft because the previous notification expired without being officially finalized into law.
  • The draft remains open for public feedback for **60 days** while six states continue negotiations with the Centre over village boundaries.

Key Highlights of the 7th Draft Notification

  • The proposed area spans **56,825.7 sq. km** across six states, with **Karnataka** holding the largest share at **20,668 sq. km** and **Gujarat** holding the smallest at **449 sq. km**.
  • The draft enforces a complete ban on commercial mining, stone quarrying, sand extraction, new thermal power plants, polluting **red category industries**, and major construction projects.
  • Hydroelectric power projects will face strict regulation, while agriculture, plantations, and local community livelihoods remain fully exempt.
  • The notification allows the Centre to implement the **Eco-Sensitive Area** in phases for individual states without waiting for total consensus.
  • An expert panel led by **Sanjay Kumar** received a tenure extension until **July 2027** to resolve state objections and mapping discrepancies.

Western Ghats ESA Proposal

  • The initiative to declare the mountain range an **Eco-Sensitive Area** has remained pending since **August 2011**.
  • The **Madhav Gadgil Committee (2011)** recommended designating the entire Western Ghats as an **Eco-Sensitive Area** under three strict protection zones, but states rejected it as overly restrictive.
  • The **Kasturirangan Committee (2013)** proposed a balanced approach by recommending ecological protection for **37%** of the region, covering roughly **60,000 sq. km**.

Challenges in Notifying the Western Ghats ESA

  • Disagreements between central and state authorities over balancing environmental conservation with regional development have caused long delays.
  • Disputes regarding boundary mapping, village limits, and satellite demarcation continue to create operational uncertainty.
  • States face heavy economic losses from conservation restrictions without receiving financial compensation or ecological fiscal transfers.
  • Repeated delays in finalizing notifications create a regulatory vacuum that permits illegal mining, quarrying, and deforestation to persist.

Key Facts About the Western Ghats

  • The mountain range covers **140,000 sq. km** and stretches **1,490 km** across six states from **Gujarat** to **Kerala** and **Tamil Nadu**.
  • Geological records show these mountains are older than the Himalayas, originating from the breakup of the **Gondwana** supercontinent.
  • The continuous range splits into three geographical divisions through the **Palghat Gap**, **Goa Gap**, and **Sencottah Gap**.
  • In **2012**, UNESCO designated **39 component parts** across **seven sub-clusters** in the region as a natural **World Heritage Site**.
  • The **Northern Western Ghats** feature basaltic lava plateaus and major peaks like **Kalsubai**, the highest point in Maharashtra.
  • The **Central Western Ghats** in Karnataka feature dense evergreen forests and give rise to major rivers like the **Sharavathi** and **Netravati**.
  • The **Southern Western Ghats** contain **Anamudi**, which stands at **2,695 meters** as the highest peak in Peninsular India.
  • Popular hill stations located across the range include **Matheran**, **Mahabaleshwar**, **Lonavala**, and **Coorg**.
  • Short and swift west-flowing rivers like the **Periyar** flow into the **Arabian Sea**, offering high hydroelectric potential.
  • Longer east-flowing rivers such as the **Godavari**, **Krishna**, and **Kaveri** drain into the **Bay of Bengal** to supply crucial irrigation water.
  • As one of the world's eight **hottest hotspots** of biodiversity, the range traps monsoon winds and absorbs nearly **4 million tonnes of carbon** annually.
  • The ecosystem features high endemism, harboring **65%** of local amphibian species and **53%** of freshwater fish species.
  • Over **325 globally threatened species** live here, including flagship animals like the **Asian Elephant**, **Lion-tailed Macaque**, and **Nilgiri Tahr**.
  • The **IUCN World Heritage Outlook** rates the conservation status of the range as a matter of **significant concern** due to habitat fragmentation and mining.