CPM opposes Centre’s move to include residential areas in ESZ
Thiruvananthapuram: CPM state secretariat on Wednesday urged central govt to stop its move to include residential areas in the Western Ghats in ecologically sensitive zone (ESZ) list.Centre’s expert committee dismissed state’s recommendations without even conducting necessary verification, said CPM
Thiruvananthapuram: CPM state secretariat on Wednesday urged central govt to stop its move to include residential areas in the Western Ghats in ecologically sensitive zone (ESZ) list.Centre’s expert committee dismissed state’s recommendations without even conducting necessary verification, said CPM state secretariat.
State govt must treat Centre’s move with seriousness and act without delay, it said.“Union govt appointed the expert committee because no consensus could be reached with states on Kasturirangan committee’s recommendations.
Instead of working toward agreement by considering states’ objections, the expert committee rejected Kerala’s proposal and is taking a one-sided decision.
The fact that this was done without even a proper field survey makes the matter more serious,” it said.“Kerala had sought exclusion of 4,548sq km across 123 villages — areas that include settlements, farmlands and plantations — from the ESZ identified by Centre.
Under this arrangement, 31 villages would have been entirely removed from the ESZ, 28 of them in Idukki.
These proposals have been turned down by the expert committee under Union ministry of environment, forests and climate change,” it added.Stay updated with the latest Thiruvananthapuram news.
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