Is the Kasturirangan Committee report worth implementing?

In the heart of Karnataka, lies Kodagu, a tiny district where the majestic Western Ghats which is a mountain range in India that runs parallel to the western coast of the country covering several states. Growing up, even if you did not pay a lot of attention in Geography class, you know that the Western Ghats are important covering just under 6 percent of India’s land area. This gargantuan range of tropical hills is home to more than 30 percent of India’s flora and fauna and this Ghats definitely need to be looked after. Dr. Kasturirangan report on protecting western Ghats has become a victim of vested interests trying to protect their personal interests. The Western Ghats is one of the hottest Hotspots of Biodiversity which must be preserved for future generations.  Our politicians do not seem to have learnt any lesson after the Wayanad tragedy. Kodagu borders Wayanad and there have been reports that Kodagu was susceptible to landslides, similar to Wayanad. Our politicians who are closely connected to the Kerala timber lobby and have been protecting their interests as this will prevent large scale destruction activities like mining and deforestation, which are rampant in the region.  The Karnataka Government has repeatedly rejected the implementation of the Kasturirangan report in which 37 percent of the western Ghats is an ecologically sensitive area. (ESA). During his recent visit CM promised that the government would reconsider the Kasturirangan report which he had rejected in the past.  The people of Kodagu have to wake up and realise that it is their voice and not those of any vested interests that has to decide the next course. Our people have shown the power of ‘we the people ‘ by giving the resounding victory to our representatives and now it’s the responsibility of the people of Kodagu to ensure that their new representatives are not misled by vested interests. We the people of Kodagu, have to hold our elected representatives accountable to ensure that whatever is left of Kodagu is protected and conserved. If lessons of 2018 are not learnt, if we don’t wake up from our slumber and shed our nonchalance, it will cost us our very existence. State Government should consider incentives based in our district to promote conservation efforts instead of infrastructure facilities and other developmental activities. Our political leaders seem to be environmentally illiterate, and so conservation efforts are hampering in the district. The hilly areas of Kodagu are no different from Wayanad in Kerala. What has happened can happen here too, anytime. And our great writers have always highlighted the rich diversity of nature. Ignoring the recommendations of Kasturirangan report on the Western Ghats will lead to disaster, as it has happened in Wayanad and previously in Kodagu too. If Kodaguis to save itself from ecological catastrophe it is imperative that the powers that matter in Kodagu wake up and take measures in this direction.  Repeated disapproval makes our environmentalists disappointed when their priority has been accorded for environmental protection. It is prudent to conserve the fragile eco system that cost less compared to the situation prone to calamities than spending money/ resources for restoration/ rejuvenation. The future of the Western Ghats is in our hands.  We must act now to save this irreplaceable natural heritage. Kasturirangan report is a scientific document and should be implemented without questioning it.