Karnataka government to study carrying capacity of Western Ghats
Bengaluru: In a move to safeguard the bio-diversity of the Western Ghats, the state govt has decided to assess the carrying capacity of the fragile mountain range protected as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
The decision comes in the wake of back-to-back incidents of landslides in various parts of the region in the state during the pre-monsoon rain.
In a written direction to the additional chief secretary (forest, environment and ecology), forest minister Eshwar Khandre said, "Several scientists have expressed concerns that the Western Ghats region is threatened by several linear projects, including the widening of roads and other infrastructural works.
While this caused immense damage to property and resulted in casualties, it also affected the wildlife, according to their reports.
They have also cautioned that if the region is degraded, it would result in water scarcity in the coming days."
Referring to the possible damage to the mountainous region, Khandre directed forest officials to conduct a detailed study on the region's carrying capacity pertaining to these infrastructure works and submit a report within three months.
"A whopping 60% of the forest land of the state is located in the Western Ghats with several endemic flora and faunal species. They play a crucial role in the progress of monsoon winds that bring rain to the hinterland. As we have been planning projects in a sustainable way, we need to assess the carrying capacity of the region as well. Hence, I have directed the ACS and other forest officials to submit a detailed report within three months," Khandre explained.
3 months too short: Greens
Hailing the forest minister's decision as significant, conservationists, however, have expressed doubts over the proposed three-month duration of the study, as previous such efforts in some pockets took years.
Former Karnataka Western Ghats Task Force chairman Anant Hegde Ashisara said, "Previously, the task force, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science, prepared a report on the carrying capacity of the region in Uttara Kannada district.
Then, we recommended that the state govt extend this to other parts of the Western Ghats. We are happy that the govt has realised the importance of the region at least now, and we extend all cooperation for the study.
However, the govt must invite all scientists who previously worked in Uttara Kannada, and if need be, it should extend the period for a detailed scientific study."
Even though there have been studies previously on the carrying capacity of the Western Ghats, they were focused on a few patches in the backdrop of developmental projects.
"Karnataka will be the first state in the country to carry out the study to estimate the carrying capacity of the entire Western Ghats region," Hegde pointed out.
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