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Follow W Ghats report to clear projects, Tribunal tells MoEF
There seems no respite for Environment Ministry from the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) report. Earlier it was IUCN’s directives to follow the recommendations of the panel report to retain the World Heritage site status, which however it managed to evade. But this time it is from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that has asked the Ministry to consider the recommendations of the panel report while granting environmental clearance to projects in the ecologically sensitive zones of the Western Ghats.
The order comes in the wake of a petition filed by five non-government organisations from Goa, Karnataka and Kerala that sought a stay on granting environmental clearances in the ecologically sensitive areas in the Western Ghats, which fall in five States - Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
The order states, “As and when the Ministry considers applications for granting environmental clearance in respect of areas falling in ESZ-1, they shall take note of WGEEP report and take decision only in consonance with the provisions made therein,” ESZ-I areas are those which fall immediately outside the boundaries of wildlife sanctuaries and reserve forests and have been given the status of a protected area in the report.
The directives of the Green bench come as a spanner in the proposed mega hydel power projects in Kerala along the Western Ghats. The state had been raising a major hue and cry against following the recommendations of the WGEEP report and had appealed to the environment ministry to review the recommendations.
Sources pointed out that Kerala was to approach the ministry for environmental clearances for the proposed 163-mw Athirappilly and 70-mw Pathrakadvu projects falling under eco-sensitive zones. The order said the Centre, while considering the applications for granting eco-clearance in respect of areas falling in Ecologically Sensitive Zones, shall take note of the WGEEP report.
There seems no respite for Environment Ministry from the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) report. Earlier it was IUCN’s directives to follow the recommendations of the panel report to retain the World Heritage site status, which however it managed to evade. But this time it is from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that has asked the Ministry to consider the recommendations of the panel report while granting environmental clearance to projects in the ecologically sensitive zones of the Western Ghats.
The order comes in the wake of a petition filed by five non-government organisations from Goa, Karnataka and Kerala that sought a stay on granting environmental clearances in the ecologically sensitive areas in the Western Ghats, which fall in five States - Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
The order states, “As and when the Ministry considers applications for granting environmental clearance in respect of areas falling in ESZ-1, they shall take note of WGEEP report and take decision only in consonance with the provisions made therein,” ESZ-I areas are those which fall immediately outside the boundaries of wildlife sanctuaries and reserve forests and have been given the status of a protected area in the report.
The directives of the Green bench come as a spanner in the proposed mega hydel power projects in Kerala along the Western Ghats. The state had been raising a major hue and cry against following the recommendations of the WGEEP report and had appealed to the environment ministry to review the recommendations.
Sources pointed out that Kerala was to approach the ministry for environmental clearances for the proposed 163-mw Athirappilly and 70-mw Pathrakadvu projects falling under eco-sensitive zones. The order said the Centre, while considering the applications for granting eco-clearance in respect of areas falling in Ecologically Sensitive Zones, shall take note of the WGEEP report.
