(a) whether the Government has appointed any commission to review the findings of Prof.
Madhav Gadgil Commission report on Western Ghats in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the said commission has submitted its report;
(d) if so, the major findings thereof and the action taken by the Government in this regard;
(e) if not, the reasons therefor; and
(f) the time by which it is likely to be implemented?
MINISTER OF THE STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS
(SHRIMATI JAYANTHI NATARAJAN)
(a) & (b) The Ministry had constituted a High Level Working Group under the Chairmanship of
Dr. K Kasturirangan, Member, Planning Commission vide office order dated 17.8.2012 to inter
alia examine the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel Report in a holistic and multidisciplinary
fashion keeping in view the comments received from the concerned State Governments/Central
Ministries/Stakeholders and other related important aspects such as preservation of precious
biodiversity, needs and aspirations of the local and indigenous people, sustainable development
and environmental integrity of the region, climate change and constitutional implications of
centre-state relations and to recommend further course of action to the Government with respect
to the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel Report.
(c) to (f) The HLWG has submitted its report to the Ministry. The major recommendations of the
report deal with (i) definition and delimitation of Western Ghats Region (ii) identification of
eco-sensitive areas in the states of Western Ghats, (iii) regulation / prohibition of certain
activities in the eco-sensitive areas, (iv) measures for incentivizing green growth in Western
Ghats region, (v) setting up of a Decision Support and Monitoring Centre for Western Ghats and
(vi) review of specific cases – Athirappilly hydropower project, Gundya Hydropower project,
moratorium on development projects in Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg Districts and mining in Goa.
The Ministry has uploaded the report on it’s website for wider dissemination and use and also
sought comments from stakeholders. The HLWG report is under examination in the Ministry