Committee to assess Goa's demands on demarcation of eco-sensitive areas

Contact Counsellor

Last Updated05/11/2024

The Union Environment Ministry-appointed expert committee, which is tasked with examining views and objections of state governments on eco-sensitive areas (ESA) in the Western Ghats, is likely to visit Goa soon to deliberate on the state’s submissions.

An expert committee appointed by the Union Environment Ministry, led by Sanjay Kumar, former Director-General of Forests, is set to visit Goa to assess the state's objections regarding the eco-sensitive areas (ESA) designation in the Western Ghats.
The committee’s mandate includes evaluating whether Goa’s demand to exclude certain villages from the ESA list is justifiable.

In July 2024, the Centre issued the sixth draft notification declaring 56,825.7 sq km of the Western Ghats as ESA, which is critical for the preservation of this biodiverse region spanning Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.
This notification aims to impose strict regulations, including a ban on mining, quarrying, and sand mining in designated areas, as well as a phased elimination of existing mines within five years.
State governments were given a 60-day window to submit views and objections, marking a significant step towards finalizing the list of ESA villages in the Western Ghats.

The Goa government has requested the exclusion of 21 villages in Sattari taluka from the ESA list, citing concerns from local communities. Goa’s current ESA list includes 108 villages covering 1,461 sq km, spread across Sattari, Canacona, Dharbandora, and Sanguem talukas.
A seven-member panel appointed by the Goa state government is concurrently reviewing representations from other villages, like Loliem and Poinguinim in Canacona taluka, which seek to retain their ESA status. This suggests a varied response from local communities, with some advocating for inclusion and others seeking exemption.

For the first time, the draft notification specifies that ESA demarcation may be issued as separate notifications by state or in a single combined notification. This change aims to expedite the process and address the diverse environmental and developmental concerns across states.

The designation of nearly 60,000 sq km of the Western Ghats as an ESA has been under consideration for over 13 years. Initially, the Madhav Gadgil panel recommended classifying the entire Western Ghats region as ecologically sensitive and proposed the establishment of an ecological authority to regulate development.
However, due to concerns over development restrictions, this report was not implemented. Subsequently, the K Kasturirangan panel was formed to refine the ESA designation based on the Gadgil panel’s findings, focusing on demarcating ESA boundaries to protect high-biodiversity areas.