Ecologically sensitive areas proposed in India

India is still grappling with the devastation left behind by the massive landslides that wrought havoc in Wayanad in the state of Kerala. The Indian government has issued a draft notification to declare over 56,800 square kilometres of the Western Ghats across six states, including 13 villages in Kerala’s landslide-hit Wayanad, as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA), according to an India Today report. The notification was issued on July 31, a day after the series of landslides hit Wayanad. Besides, suggestions and objections have been invited on the draft notification within 60 days.

The report adds that a five-member committee is focusing on creating an eco-sensitive area framework that will gain consensus from all stakeholders on infrastructure issues and the protection of biodiversity in the Western Ghats. According to the draft notification, the Western Ghats are to be declared as an ESA. The Western Ghats is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the eight ‘hottest hotspots’ of biological diversity in the world. The main challenge for the committee is achieving consensus among the six states of the Western Ghats. Sources suggest that many states have expressed apprehensions and concerns regarding the inclusion and exclusion of certain parts within their jurisdiction. Therefore, reaching consensus on the new draft and formula is proving to be a particularly challenging task for the panel.

Overall, as per a Press Trust of India (PTI) report, the notification includes 449 sq. km in Gujarat, 17,340 sq. km in Maharashtra, 1,461 sq. km in Goa, 20,668 sq km in Karnataka, 6914 sq. km in Tamil Nadu, and 9993.7 sq. km in Kerala in the proposed ESA. A complete ban on mining, quarrying, and sand mining is suggested in the draft notification. The notification also proposes to phase out the existing mines within five years “from the date of issue of the final notification or on the expiry of the existing mining lease, whichever is earlier”, reported news agency PTI.

The notification proposes that all new and expansion projects of building and construction with built-up areas of 20,000 square metres and above, and all new and expansion townships and area development projects with an area of 50 hectares and above or with built-up areas of 1,50,000 square metres and above, shall be prohibited. It adds that there shall be no restriction on the repair, extension, or renovation of existing residential houses in the ESA as per prevailing laws and regulations.

The notification also aims to prohibit new thermal power projects and states that existing projects can continue to operate but no expansion will be allowed. All ‘Red’ category industries (highly polluting), specified by the pollution control boards, and their expansion shall be banned.

A Frontline report has highlighted that in recent years, India has witnessed an alarming surge in landslides, transforming a once localised threat into a nationwide concern. According to reports, India recorded 3,285 landslides between 2015 and 2022, with a significant increase in frequency over this period. The Geological Survey of India reports that about 12.6% of India’s land area, excluding snow-covered regions, is prone to landslides.

Further, the report states that from the Western Ghats to the Himalayas, communities across the country are grappling with these devastating geological events. In Kerala alone, the State Disaster Management Authority documented over 500 landslides between 2018 and 2020. The Himalayas, home to about 50 million people, have seen a 30% increase in landslide incidents over the past two decades, as reported by the National Institute of Disaster Management. The India Meteorological Department has recorded a 34% increase in extreme rainfall events since the 1950s, while the Forest Survey of India reports a loss of 1582 sq. km of dense forest cover between 2019 and 2021.

The report also examines stories that elucidate how climate change, deforestation, and unsustainable development practices have converged to create environmental instability. With economic losses from landslides estimated at over $400 million annually according to the World Bank, the Frontline report aims to shed light on the complex interplay of factors contributing to the crisis and the critical steps needed to safeguard communities and the environment in the face of an increasingly uncertain future.