The project envisages protection of large contiguous forests, traversing boundaries of Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra, under the Environment Protection Act (EPA). It shall consequently help check rising temperatures and rainfall in Belgaum district, which are adversely affecting agriculture and the people through regular flooding, and the city that is facing water shortages.
Also key for implementing ‘Sahyadri Ecologically Sensitive Area' is that the Western Ghats around Belgaum are being undermined and destroyed at an increasing pace. Forests are being lost, degraded and fragmented for private and illegal gain through encroachments, tree felling and forest clearance for illegal or poorly planned development including mining. Mr Jaideep Siddannavar, President, BCCI, said, “One needs to make a beginning and the Sahyadri Ecologically Sensitive Area proposal submitted to the Ministry is one such endeavour. We recognise that the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Committee (WGEEP) and the MoEF (Ministry of Environment and Forests) are in the process of identifying ecologically sensitive areas (ESA) in the Western Ghats." Read the full report here.
Source: iStockAnalyst.
