The Keralam Legislative Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution asking the Centre to accept the state’s revised proposal to exclude 8,590.69 sq km across 98 revenue villages from the Western Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Area, news agency Press Trust of India reported.
The resolution urged the Centre to issue the final notification only after considering the state government’s proposal, with the aim of protecting livelihoods, farming, settlements, public health and essential infrastructure while conserving the Western Ghats.
Minister for Electricity, Environment and Parliamentary Affairs Sunny Joseph moved the resolution in the Assembly. Chief Minister V D Satheesan said the UDF government had taken the same stand on the issue as the previous LDF administration.
Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan said the resolution did not mention the steps taken by the previous Left government over the past 10 years and suggested that they be included.
According to Press Trust of India, Joseph agreed to state that the final proposal was the result of work carried out by successive governments.
Joseph also accepted a suggestion from V Muraleedharan, the BJP MLA from Kazhakootam, to mention that the Centre had not issued the final notification in order to safeguard public interest.
Apart from seeking approval for the revised proposal, the resolution urged the Centre to ensure that the regulations governing the Ecologically Sensitive Area were not applied beyond its notified limits.
It also asked the central government to review provisions concerning Red Category industries and consider exemptions based on the circumstances of each case.
These include milk and dairy processing facilities, slaughterhouses and meat processing units, common effluent treatment plants, and healthcare institutions using diesel generator systems with a capacity of more than 5 MVA.
While reading the resolution, Joseph said exemptions could also be considered for new healthcare institutions, pumped-storage hydroelectric projects and townships spread over more than 50 hectares for rehabilitating people affected by distress or disasters.
Such projects would have to comply with environmental laws and pollution control standards and secure all statutory clearances, Press Trust of India reported.
The minister also sought the exclusion of the Cardamom Hill Reserve from the Ecologically Sensitive Area because of its long history of cardamom cultivation, human habitation and existing infrastructure.
The resolution asked the Centre to frame the final notification in a way that preserves the ecological integrity and long-term conservation of the Western Ghats while protecting livelihoods, farmers’ interests, traditional agricultural practices, human settlements, public health and essential infrastructure development. "To this end, the notification should completely exclude human settlements, agricultural lands, and plantations," it said.
In summary, the Assembly unanimously asked the Centre to approve the revised proposal excluding 8,590.69 sq km in 98 villages, keep the regulations within the designated limits and consider specific exemptions while ensuring environmental safeguards.
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