The State government has withdrawn the order it had issued on Wednesday asking officials at the local level not to refuse various services to people citing the K. Kasturirangan committee recommendations.
Experts Say Kasturirangan Report Does Not Ban Construction, Cultivation, Tourism And Infrastructure Development In Villages In ESA
Viju B
Chief minister Oommen Chandy may have succumbed to political pressure from UDF allies, quarry owners and church authorities, who want a drastic reduction in the number of villages categorized as Ecological Sensitive Area (ESA) as per the Kasturirangan committee report.
The clamour for declaring high-altitude areas above 7,000 feet as the eco-sensitive zone is gaining momentum following the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) process of consu
Kerala Cabinet on Wednesday cancelled the permission granted to MSPL Limited for mining of iron ore from Chakkittapara in Kozhikode district.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told the media after the Cabinet meeting that the Industries Department had put up a note to the Cabinet to cancel the permission granted by the previous (LDF) government.
In blatant violation of forest and wildlife laws, stone quarrying within 1.5km from its boundary poses serious threat to Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, 180km from here in Yavatmal district.
5 firms likely to ask for rethink on application to open new quarries
As many as five firms may ask for reconsideration of their application for opening new granite quarries in Western Ghats, invoking an order of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest.
Report has permitted uncontrolled quarrying in most parts of ghats
The Kasturirangan report has thrown open the ecologically sensitive areas of Western Ghats to mindless exploitation which would seriously hazard ecology, according to its critics.
The State government will file its views to a notification of the Ministry of Environment and Forests that proposes to declare 37 per cent of the Western Ghats as Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA).
The notification seeks to ban mining, quarrying, thermal power plants and red-category industries in these zones after public consultations and discussions in the legislature.
The environment ministry has issued directions to six state governments prohibiting development activities, including mining and quarrying, in the 60,000 sq km ecologically sensitive area of Wester
