What are Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs)?
‘Ecologically Sensitive Areas’ are areas under human use, sometimes quite intense human use such as generation of thermal power.
ESAs are areas where human activities will continue, but be prudently regulated under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
ESAs are not meant to stop development in ways that would hurt local people, but to ensure that development is environment friendly and people oriented, as well as serve to preserve the ecological heritage on a long-term basis.
Proposals by Kasturirangan panel:
Kasturirangan panel had suggested that 90% of the natural forests left in the Western Ghats complex – adding upto 60,000 sq km and constituting 37% of the entire hilly belt — be conserved under the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) provisions of the green law.
The forest area falling within the ESA would also cover 4,156 villages across the six states.
The Kasturirangan panel was set up to study the Gadgil committee report on the Western Ghats.
The Gadgil panel report had faced unanimous opposition from state governments for recommending that almost three-fourth of the hills, including plantations, cultivated lands and large habitations, be turned into a restricted development zone with an over-arching authority to regulate the region superseding the elected authorities’ role.
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