Mumbai:
The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has extended its moratorium on new projects in the districts of Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra. The moratorium has now been extended till December 31, 2012. The moratorium means that no new projects will be cleared in these two districts, where a large number of mining and coal-based power projects are on the anvil.
The ministry, in its memorandum has written that the Madhav Gadgil-led Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) is still under consideration. In view of the environmental sensitivity and ecological significance of the Western Ghats region and the complex interstate nature of its geography, as well as possible impacts of climate change on this region, the Ministry of Environment and Forests Government of India has constituted, by an order dated March 2010, a Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel. The WGEEP was set up by the former Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, after the ministry received a number of complaints from locals in the region.
The Western Ghats is a catchment area for most of the rivers in south India; large parts of the Western Ghats are also world heritage sites with endemic species found only here. Vast areas are yet to be explored and many species yet to be discovered. It would be a pity to lose them even before they are found.
The forest cover in Sindhudurg is a crucial wildlife corridor that connects the Anshi-Dandeli tiger reserve in the south with the Sahyadri tiger project in the north, spread over approximately 10-15 kilometres that could be completely destroyed since all of it comes under the proposed mines.
There are 32 mining leases in the Sawantwadi-Dodamarg belt alone and as many as 105 leases in the Sindhudurg district currently under consideration but their environment impact assessment reports are largely silent on significant wildlife species.
Neighbouring Ratnagiri district, that's also home to the world-famous 'alphonso' mango, is also earmarked for as many as 10-15 coal-based power projects, some barely a few kilometres apart. Yet, there is no cumulative environmental impact assessment done for this region, even though it was promised by both the Centre and the state government.
The Madhav Gadgil led Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel's report, currently with the Ministry of Environment and Forests, has clearly said 'Current environmental clearance processes are seriously defective'.
In fact, the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel report, that has classified the region into three ecologically sensitive zones or ESZs, has recommended:
(a) An indefinite moratorium on new environmental clearances for mining in Ecologically Sensitive Zones one and two.
(b) A phasing out of mining from ESZ1 by 2016.
Sindhudurg's proposed mining leases fall in this ESZ1 category.
Since the Centre is still to take a final call on the recommendations of the WGEEP, it seems, for now, it has decided to continue with the moratorium till the end of the year.