Western Ghats Calling: WGEEP report is nobody's baby?

Sunday, July 1, 2012

WGEEP report is nobody's baby?

Is there a hidden message the government has conveyed by dropping Prof. Madhav Gadgil from the National Advisory Council (NAC)? Has persistent efforts by Gadgil to ensure that the report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), of which he has been the chairperson, be accepted by the Ministry of Environment & Forests been negatively construed by the government? It is seemingly clear that Gadgil's stance as an activist, to get the report accepted, hasn't gone well with the government.

Sources indicate that at this crucial juncture, with a close eye on the 2014 general elections, the government wants the NAC to work in close synergy with the UPA to provide a clutch of actions that can deliver political goodwill to keep the 'aam aadmi' image of the ruling coalition alive in popular perception. With Food Security Bill, Communal Violence Bill and the Land Acquisition Bill already mired in controversy, the NAC can least afford controversies and dissension on additional matters.

Insiders believe that the WGEEP report, despite public opinion been sought on it till July 5, would remain an exercise in ecological academics. If it could not be accepted when Gadgil was member of the NAC, the chances that anything dramatic may happen when he is no longer member of the august council seems remote. While the Western Ghats may not be politically volatile region, accepting WGEEP recommendations may have serious implications (with likely spillover to other regions) on the growth agenda of the government. Jairam Ramesh, who was instrumental in setting up the panel, has already expressed his fears that the WGEEP report may get junked.

2 comments:

Green BeaconJuly 8, 2012 at 10:36 PM
Outlook story on NAC (http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?281560)reflects the apparent 'hidden' reasons for the three members, including Madhav Gadgil, to be shown the door, something that was reflected in this short report a week earlier. The intention in comparing the two 'news' stories is not to claim who 'broke' the broken story first but to see through the new 'synergy' between NAC and PMO aimed at pushing the so-called 'reform agenda'. With the new finance minister in charge and the bugle of general elections already sounded, pushing 'environment' up on the political agenda as well as public psyche is a challenge that would warrant 'strategic thinking'. If writing on the wall is 'clear' than 'WGEEP' and 'Heritage Tag' may be two small flies in the big soup?
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Green BeaconJuly 10, 2012 at 1:22 AM
One couldn't imagine it to so quick. The WGEEP report is undoubtedly 'nobody's baby' as the Ministry has decided to constitute another panel to override the previous attempt.

The Times of India (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Govt-to-set-up-second-panel-to-rework-report-on-Western-Ghats/articleshow/14787022.cms) has reported on July 10, 2012 that the government has decided to set up another committee comprising central and state government experts to review the controversial report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) after several states vehemently objected to the recommendations.

The decision was taken by environment and forests minister Jayanthi Natarajan in concurrence with the PMO. The committee will be required to submit its views on the report in two months.

Sources in the environment ministry said more than 6,000 comments had been received on the WGEEP recommendations since the report was put in public domain asking for views.

The WGEEP report had recommended banning mining in 60% of hill areas falling in six states over the next five years and not permitting any new mines in another 15% of the Western Ghats area - a globally recognized biodiversity rich zone.

The panel, headed by Madhav Gadgil, who has also served on the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council, had come up with a zoning plan for the region, recommending that the Ghats should be classified into three classes of eco-sensitive zone with various degrees of restriction on land use for development and agriculture. It had also pushed the case for setting up an authority to monitor implementation of the report and the management of the eco-sensitive zones.

The panel's advice has sparked strong reactions from states such as Kerala, which claimed that complete implementation of the recommendations would lead to unprecedented restrictions on development and infrastructure growth.

Sources in the environment ministry told TOI that the committee would be asked to take a holistic view on the ecologists' recommendations and bring on board the apprehensions of state governments as well as other central ministries as well. It is likely to be headed by an eminent environmental expert though the environment ministry has not yet shortlisted names.

Natarajan's decision to set up a committee will also negate the attempts by the Planning Commission to intervene on behalf of the states, sidelining other stakeholders who had approached the environment ministry with their varying views. The report has had an unprecedented reaction from various quarters including civil society and industry with the economic development in more than 80 districts directly affected by the recommendations besides the large industrial stakes in the mine-rich zone.
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Save Western Ghats Movement (SWGM)

SWGM has an unpleasant history. Hailed by India Today as one of the finest post-independence environmental movement, the mid-1980s march along the pristine 'ghats' had to wither away on account of internal squabbling between the organizers. Between 2006 till 2008, Sudhirendar Sharma got an opportunity to travel across the region to capture the latent energy among diverse actors to reignite the past. Together with Pandurang Hegde, who carried the painful memories of the past, the Save Western Ghats Movement of the 80's was revived at Peaceful Society in Goa in 2009. Peaceful Society (led by Kalanand Mani) had played stellar role in anchoring the SWGM in 1988.

SWGM Conferences

Three important congregations of activists, researchers, scientists, artists, politicians and thinkers have been organised since 2009 under the aegis of Save Western Ghats Movement - an informal platform of civil society actors. While the first, in 2009 in Ponda (Goa) revived the erstwhile movement of the mid-80's, the second in Kotagiri (Tamilnadu) in 2010 was major milestone as it led to the setting-up of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel by the Ministry of Environment & Forests. The third congregation at Moodbidri (Karnataka) in 2011 reiterated civil society commitment to conserve the ghats whatever be the outcome of the panel.

Sussegad

Sussegad, meaning `easygoing’, is often associated with the Goans but it does extend to other areas along the Western Ghats, notably hilly parts of Karnataka. Mellowed down by the warmth of the Sun, the coolness of the rains and the wisdom of the green hills, people in these parts of the Western Ghats are known for their simplicity and hospitality. Accommodating as they are, sussegad lends a distinct cultural identity to these people.

When the world elsewhere is racing against materialistic greed, sussegad provides the much desired calming effect. Gandhi used to say: `there is more to life than speed.’ People in the ghats seem to have imbibed that spirit from time immemorial. Being laid back and stealing siesta time during each afternoon may seem out of place for an average outsider but for people here it is an accepted practice that renders them inherent strength – of being in harmony with self, society and nature. It seems sussegad could be for the good of the entire society. Any takers!

Open House

By definition, activists are an interesting bunch of people with high octane levels. At the heart of activism lies the unflinching desire to bring the world on its feet. Unilaterally focussed, immensely committed and socially driven, activists have struggled to carve out a niche for themselves in the shrinking social space. Yet, they enjoy the patronage of the state and its cronies. Had there not been the state with its dubious designs, the breed called activists would not have existed? Wonder, who then is the real activist?

Do you agree with this notion?

All About Frogs

Pictorial Guide to Frogs and Toads of the Western Ghats has been published to help students, researchers, forest managers, photographers and general public in identifying a species in the field along with its status, ecology and distribution. Simultaneously it also aims at bringing awareness about amphibians among general public. This book covers 73 species of 156 frogs and toads recorded from the Western Ghats as of date. Written by Dr. KV Gururaja, the book is available through: http://shop.gubbilabs.in.

Not without reason the legend Parshurama, the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, retrieved the Sahyadris (also known as Western Ghats) from the sea by throwing an axe into it. Also called Parshurama Kshetra, the evolving and nurturing ecosystem has not only been home to exquisite biodiversity but rich cultural traditions too. It is gateway to the monsoons, the life-nurturing fluid that have been sprayed across the sub-continent since millennia.

Ceded to the British in 1799, the Sahyadris have been a learning laboratory of unique ecological consciousness. The picturesque ghats are more than humble trees and bumble bees, diverse landscapes that represent distinct relationships between the living and the non-living, between the masculine and the feminine forces, between the yin and yang and between the civilised and the wild.