Kasturirangan had a distinct connect with Malnad region-OxBig News Network

Space scientist K. Kasturirangan visited parts of Sakleshpur taluk in Hassan in January 2013 to study the Western Ghats as head of the High-Level Working Group.
| Photo Credit: File Photo

Shivamogga

K. Kasturirangan, the space scientist who passed away on Friday, had a distinct connection with the people of the Malnad region, located in the foothills of the Western Ghats. As the head of the Central government-appointed High-Level Working Group, Dr. Kasturirangan submitted a report on the Western Ghats in April 2013. He and other members of the group had visited parts of the area before submitting the report.

Since the group submitted its report, the scientist’s name has been part of everyday discussions in the villages of the region. The report’s recommendations have led to many protests and discussions among the people, who are worried about its implications. However, a section of environmentalists fighting for the conservation of the Western Ghats find the implementation of his report essential for safeguarding the biodiversity hotspot.

What report said

Dr. Kasturirangan’s report proposed that 37% of the Western Ghats should be identified as an ecologically sensitive area (ESA). In Karnataka, it would include 20,668 sq. km, spanning over 1,576 villages spread over 10 districts. The local people were worried over the implications of notifying the ESA.

Elected representatives, irrespective of their political affiliation, have opposed the recommendations. The MoEF and Climate Change issued six draft notifications following the recommendations. The draft notification prohibits mining, quarrying, and sand extraction in the ESA. It promotes organic farming in the area and prohibits construction projects measuring 20,000 sq. m and above. However, the State government has rejected all the six notifications.

Ti.Na. Srinivas, a noted face fighting for the rehabilitation of the people displaced by the Sharavati project, said he respected Dr. Kasturirangan for his contributions to the nation as a space scientist. “However, his role as the head of the committee on the Western Ghats was not acceptable,” he said.

Mr. Srinivas said the report took a view against forest dwellers who had contributed to the conservation of the forests over several generations. However, his recommendations suggested that they had a role in the global warming, he opined.

On the other hand, not all environmentalists supported his report completely. They felt that his report, in a way, “diluted” the original recommendations of professor Madhav Gadgil, under whose leadership the MoEF had constituted the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel.

‘Could have saved ghats’

Akhilesh Chipli, an environmentalist based in Sagar, said he had been opposing the Kasturirangan report. “The Central government constituted the High-Level Working Group only to dilute the Gadgil report. But now the governments are not ready to implement even his recommendations. At times, I felt that if the Kasturirangan report was implemented effectively, the Western Ghats could be protected, if not the Gadgil report,” he said.