PANAJI
The Union Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has directed the Goa government to submit a revised proposal for declaration of villages as Western Ghat Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA) and detail specific purposes for exclusion of 21 villages.
“Revise proposal with full rationale, supporting data and maps; details of any relaxation sought in the prohibited categories for specific areas and very specific purposes as presented by the Government of Goa during interactions including the traditional use of materials by local communities,” MoEF&CC Advisor Dr S Kerketta said in a letter to the Chief Secretary on December 13.
The Ministry has also sought to know various laws and regulations, programmes or schemes and other measures already in place and proposed to be taken by the government to protect biodiversity (flora, fauna, water, rivers, and land reforms) in the areas proposed to be excluded.
The Centre, in its draft notification, issued in August, had proposed 108 villages from Goa as ESA. The Goa government in its submission before the Union Ministry proposed dropping 21 villages from the ESA list and that 87 villages be categorised as ESA since they meet the criteria set out by the Ministry.
As per government proposal, 21 villages include 12 from Sattari, five from Dharbandora, three from Sanguem and one from Canacona taluka.
The MoEF&CC appointed Expert Committee had visited the State from November 26-28 for ground verification and consultation with the State government. Following their visit, the Ministry wrote to the State seeking revised proposal.
The Ministry sought details of various traditional conservation measures and practices, including scared groves and biodiversity heritage sites, keystone species of Goa in the proposed ESA area along with unique flora and fauna and measures taken to protect them.
The Ministry would also like to know about major rivers, their origins in Goa, their traverse (distance covered) and point of convergence with the Sea and key features.
“It is therefore requested that the above may be furnished at the earliest to enable the Committee to proceed with the review and further action on the proposal,” Kerketta said.
The State government during its interaction with the Committee had raised certain issues like, dependence of the local community on the minor minerals and declaration of ESA may impose ban on extraction of minor minerals, which will affect their livelihood and also make State dependent on others to meet the requirement of minor minerals.
