Classifying Western Ghats 'ecologically fragile' a threat to sustenance, say inhabitants
Palaniappan, who belongs to a farming family, is a worried man today. He fears his means of livelihood will be threatened because his village, Vattavada, in high-range Idukki district, is within the ecologically fragile area identified by two expert committees on the Western Ghats. Naturally Palaniappan is in the forefront of the agitation against a panel’s report that has identified 37% of the Western Ghats, or 60,000 sq km of the green belt that runs across six states, as ecologically sensitive. Following a widespread uproar that the environment and ecology of the Western Ghats, a world heritage site identified by Unesco, is under serious threat due to human interference, the government had set up an expert panel under Gadgil two years ago. A mellowed one, the latter made some changes in the zonal classification and reduced the fragile area to 37% from the 63% recommended by Gadgil, who had opposed these changes, saying any dilution may harm the extremely fragile Ghats, which could ill afford even minor human interference.
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