Kerala tragedy partly man made: Madhav Gadgil, expert who headed Western Ghats report
New Delhi : As Kerala faces its worst floods in several decades, the author of a landmark report on the conservation of the Western Ghats said Sunday that the scale of the disaster would have been smaller had the state government and local authorities followed environmental laws.
Scientist Madhav Gadgil, who headed the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel formed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests in 2010, said at least a part of the problem in Kerala was “man made”.
“Yes, there is an intense rainfall event which has caused this. But I am quite convinced that the last several years’ developments in the state have materially compromised its ability to deal with events like this and greatly increased the magnitude of the suffering that we are seeing today. Had proper steps been taken, the scale of the disaster would have been nowhere near what it is today,” Dr Gadgil told The Indian Express.
In its detailed report submitted in 2011, the Gadgil panel had suggested measures for the preservation of the natural environment of the ecologically fragile Western Ghats region. The report had recommended that the entire Western Ghats, spread over six states, including Kerala, be declared ecologically sensitive — and had assigned three levels of ecological sensitivity to regions within the Ghats.
The committee had strongly recommended a ban on certain new industrial and mining activities in the area, and called for strict regulation of many other “developmental” works in consultation with local communities and gram panchayats.
The report met with resistance from the governments of all six stakeholder states. Thereafter, the Environment Ministry appointed another panel, headed by space scientist K Kasturirangan, to “examine” the Gadgil committee report in a “holistic and multidisciplinary” fashion, while considering the objections raised by the state governments and responses received from others. The Kasturirangan committee, which submitted its report in 2013, severely watered down the recommendations of the Gadgil panel, effectively suggesting that only a third of the Western Ghats be identified as being ecologically sensitive.
After protracted consultations with the state governments, the Environment Ministry last year notified some 57,000 sq km of the Western Ghats as an ecologically sensitive area, in which all mining activities, large constructions, thermal power plants, and highly polluting industries were banned.
Of the area that was finally notified, only 9,993.7 sq km was in Kerala, after the state government objected to the 13,108 sq km that the Kasturirangan committee had identified as ecologically sensitive in the state.
“In fact, it is not even a question of the report not being accepted or the recommendations being ignored. If the governments had just followed the law, if there was good governance, a disaster of this proportion could have been avoided,” Gadgil told The Indian Express.
“Unfortunately, our state governments are in the grip of, and in collusion with, vested interests that do not want any environmental laws to be implemented, and the local communities to be empowered. Our recommendations would have been accepted in any law-abiding society that believes in good governance. Unfortunately, we have a lawless society and extremely poor governance,” Gadgil said.
In particular, Gadgil pointed to the increasing stone quarrying activity in Kerala, along with largescale construction.
“There has been a proliferation of illegal stone quarrying all over the state. In 2013, after we had submitted our report, there were many demonstrations against stone quarrying in Kerala. In one of the demonstrations, in Kozhikode district, I think, the stone quarrying mafia organised stone pelting against the demonstrators. One boy had died in that incident. Nobody was brought to book. People realised they were going to be completely suppressed. Stone quarrying has become more and more rampant after that, and in the last few years it has exceeded all limits. Activities like these certainly contribute to the magnitude of the damage that has been caused by this (flooding) event,” he said.
“In terms of unregulated growth of illegal constructions, and creation of real estate all over, there are disturbing parallels (in Kerala) with Uttarakhand,” Dr Gadgil said. “These are not just natural events. There are unjustified human interventions in natural processes which need to be stopped.”
A cloudburst in 2013 had brought catastrophic destruction to Uttarakhand, triggering massive landslides and flash floods, and killing close to 6,000 people.
The Gadgil report had pointed out that many reservoirs in the Western Ghats states, especially those in the steep valleys, were silting up prematurely due to massive encroachment and deforestation of catchment areas. “Idukki dam is a classic case wherein the entire catchment was encroached along the dam construction,” the report said.
“The operations of hydroelectric stations (reservoir operations) are in tune with the power needs rather than downstream water needs. Hence, daily flow fluctuations created by peak and offpeak operations of reservoirs in dammed rivers have led to upstream-downstream conflicts in many river basins. Similarly, diversion of flows into another river basin after power generation is creating problems of daily flood in the recipient basin and drought in diverted basins,” it said.
courtesy : indianexpress.com
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Work underway on 'One Nation, One Election'; positive discussions ongoing: Modi
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the "mission is still ongoing" for implementing the BJP's two key agendas, the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and 'One Nation, One Election', with serious discussions underway and positive progress made.
Virtually addressing an event marking the BJP's 47th Foundation Day, Modi also said it was the saffron party that first raised the issue of women's reservation in 1994. He added that the current BJP-led central government is fully committed to ensuring that the Women's Reservation Act -- which would provide 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies -- is implemented in the 2029 general elections.
Targeting the Congress, he said BJP workers endured many hardships -- such as the Emergency and oppression -- under the grand old party's rule. Many BJP workers even sacrificed their lives, he said, citing states such as West Bengal and Kerala "where violence has been turned into a political culture".
"Our mission is still ongoing. On Uniform Civil Code, 'One Nation, One Election' and other issues, serious discussions are taking place in the country, and we have achieved tremendous progress on those fronts," Modi said.
He said the BJP aims to make the country developed and self-reliant, and will continue to march in that direction.
Under the 'One Nation, One Election' system, the Modi government proposes to conduct simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. The UCC seeks to create the same set of laws for everyone across the country, irrespective of religion, especially with regard to marriage and adoption.
Modi said the BJP is sincerely striving to face every challenge.
ALSO READ: 2 Indian nationals accused of drug trafficking arrested in Nepal
"There are countless works that were the result of the BJP's honest efforts, such as the repeal of hundreds of black laws from the British era, the construction of a new Parliament building, 10 per cent reservation for the poor in the general category, triple talaq ban, the Citizenship Amendment Act, the construction of the Ayodhya Ram temple," he said.
The prime minister said the BJP had first proposed women's reservation in 1994 in Vadodara.
"We had also decided that we would encourage women in our party organisation as far as possible. When we came to power, we fulfilled that promise. Now we are fully dedicated to ensuring that the Nari Vandan Adhiniyam (Women's Reservation Act) is implemented in the 2029 general elections," he said.
Referring to the ongoing West Asia conflict, Modi said the BJP believes in the idea of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (the world is one family) even in times of war.
He said there was a time when India took pride in maintaining equal distance from every country, but now it is moving ahead by keeping close relations with each country.
Highlighting that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has completed 25 years of existence, Modi said it is the only coalition that has been working in the country's interest and for public welfare.
"The BJP has set an example in coalition politics. The consistent expansion of the NDA is proof that it is an all-inclusive coalition. It works by prioritising regional aspirations," he said.
Modi said people have seen dynastic politics, which is still prevalent in some parts of the country, and the Left governance model, but the BJP's governance model is unique.
"Under our governance model, policies and governments are stable," he said.
Modi said the BJP has its own agenda and aims, and besides handling the current crisis, the party-led government is preparing the country for the future.
"Works are ongoing on issues such as the demographic change, infiltration, corruption, dynastic politics, and freeing people from a colonial mindset. The BJP has to make the country free from all these challenges. This responsibility can be fulfilled only by the BJP," he said.
Referring to the abrogation of Article 370 (which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir) in 2019, Modi said that for decades, the law was a hurdle in fully integrating Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country.
"People thought it was impossible to scrap Article 370, but we had promised to abrogate it. We have completed the task," he said.
He said the BJP has been maintaining a consistent stand on issues like national security and terrorism, and now new technologies are being installed for border security, border villages are being developed, and the backbone of Naxalism has been crushed.
He said under the "vast and sacred banyan tree" of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the BJP was inspired to step into politics with good intentions and integrity.
"In the initial few decades, we devoted our energy to setting policies for the organisation," he said, adding that the BJP cannot forget that in 1984, the Congress won a record number of seats, but the country also witnessed how they betrayed the people.
"This increased people's trust in the BJP, and slowly we began to win seats. At that time, two types of political ideologies existed: one was power-driven, and the other was service-oriented.
"The politics that prioritised power gradually declined, and service-oriented politics gained massive public support. Today, we are proud that through our conduct, we have established a new principle in Indian politics: the principle of nation first," he said.
Earlier, in an X post, Modi greeted BJP workers on the party's foundation day. The BJP was formed on April 6, 1980.
"Our party has always been at the forefront of serving society, guided by the principle of India First. Our 'karyakartas' are known for their selfless service, unwavering dedication and a deep passion towards good governance. They have worked tirelessly at the grassroots, ensuring maximum people are connected to our ideology and work.
"We also remember the countless workers whose dedication, sacrifice and perseverance have shaped the party's growth over decades," he said.
Modi said the BJP stands as a party that places the well-being of people at the centre of its vision, and this is reflected in the work at the Centre and in various states.
"BJP remains committed to building a Viksit Bharat. May our collective resolve continue to drive this vision forward and take India to new heights of progress and prosperity," he said.
