422
R. V. D’ Souza
3.1 The Mandate of the Panel
The key mandate of the panel was to demarcate areas within the Western Ghats
region which need to be notified as ecologically sensitive zones under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. In doing so, the committee was asked to review
the existing reports, the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s decisions and recommendations
of the National Board for Wildlife and consult all concerned State Governments.
The committee had to assess the current status of the ecology of the Western Ghats
region and make recommendations for the conservation, protection and rejuvenation
of the Western Ghats following a comprehensive consultation process involving people and governments of all the concerned states. The committee had to recommend
the modalities for the establishment of Western Ghats Ecology Authority under the
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 which was to be a professional body to manage
the ecology of the region and to ensure its sustainable development with the support
of all concerned states (WGEEP, p. 3).
3.2 Mode of Work
The committee held fourteen meetings deliberating at length on various issues related
to the Western Ghats region, spreading over almost seventeen months. The committee
obtained extensive inputs from the civil society, government agencies and technical
experts with the help of a series of 42 commissioned papers, 7 brainstorming sessions, 1 expert consultative meeting, 8 consultations with government agencies, 40
consultations with civil society groups and 14 field visits. In addition, the government agencies and civil society groups in Goa were also consulted as two members
of the Committee, Madhav Gadgil and Ligia Noronha were involved as members
of the Goa Government’s Golden Jubilee Development Council. The Panel also set
up a public website to obtain civil society inputs. (WGEEP, p. 5). It considered the
earlier reports on Western Ghats, especially the recommendations of the Pronab Sen
Committee, drawing extensively from the Sen Report.
The committee compiled and organised the existing manifold data spatially on
Google Earth Image Platform and published the database by employing scientific
methodology in the January 25, 2011 issue of the journal Current Science to solicit
feedback from the public. It encouraged discussions and consultations from a wider
section of experts and stakeholders while working on a generic procedure for mapping
Ecological Sensitive Areas (ESAs). The criteria for the classification was categorised
into (i) Biological attributes (ii) Geo-climatic layers attributes (iii) Stakeholders’
valuation. While the first two categories enumerated the physical and environmental
background of the region, the third category widely sought the participation of local
people, civil society groups and citizens in the conservation of ecology. The committee carried the work through research, stakeholders’ consultation (region-wise
and state-wise) including the administration, MPs of the Western Ghats Region and
R. V. D’ Souza
3.1 The Mandate of the Panel
The key mandate of the panel was to demarcate areas within the Western Ghats
region which need to be notified as ecologically sensitive zones under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. In doing so, the committee was asked to review
the existing reports, the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s decisions and recommendations
of the National Board for Wildlife and consult all concerned State Governments.
The committee had to assess the current status of the ecology of the Western Ghats
region and make recommendations for the conservation, protection and rejuvenation
of the Western Ghats following a comprehensive consultation process involving people and governments of all the concerned states. The committee had to recommend
the modalities for the establishment of Western Ghats Ecology Authority under the
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 which was to be a professional body to manage
the ecology of the region and to ensure its sustainable development with the support
of all concerned states (WGEEP, p. 3).
3.2 Mode of Work
The committee held fourteen meetings deliberating at length on various issues related
to the Western Ghats region, spreading over almost seventeen months. The committee
obtained extensive inputs from the civil society, government agencies and technical
experts with the help of a series of 42 commissioned papers, 7 brainstorming sessions, 1 expert consultative meeting, 8 consultations with government agencies, 40
consultations with civil society groups and 14 field visits. In addition, the government agencies and civil society groups in Goa were also consulted as two members
of the Committee, Madhav Gadgil and Ligia Noronha were involved as members
of the Goa Government’s Golden Jubilee Development Council. The Panel also set
up a public website to obtain civil society inputs. (WGEEP, p. 5). It considered the
earlier reports on Western Ghats, especially the recommendations of the Pronab Sen
Committee, drawing extensively from the Sen Report.
The committee compiled and organised the existing manifold data spatially on
Google Earth Image Platform and published the database by employing scientific
methodology in the January 25, 2011 issue of the journal Current Science to solicit
feedback from the public. It encouraged discussions and consultations from a wider
section of experts and stakeholders while working on a generic procedure for mapping
Ecological Sensitive Areas (ESAs). The criteria for the classification was categorised
into (i) Biological attributes (ii) Geo-climatic layers attributes (iii) Stakeholders’
valuation. While the first two categories enumerated the physical and environmental
background of the region, the third category widely sought the participation of local
people, civil society groups and citizens in the conservation of ecology. The committee carried the work through research, stakeholders’ consultation (region-wise
and state-wise) including the administration, MPs of the Western Ghats Region and