PANAJI
The Union Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has directed the Goa Government to submit village-wise forest cover details of 108 villages, which are categorized under Western Ghat Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA), as per the draft notification issued by the Minister in August, last year.
In a communication to the Chief Secretary, last month, Member Convenor of Western Ghat ESA Committee Dr S Kerketta has asked the State to provide details of the forest cover as a matter of the ‘highest priority’.
The Ministry sought to know the village wise details of non-forest area, recorded forest area, private forest, forest and tree cover for all 108 villages.
Earlier in January, the Ministry had asked the State to submit a revised proposal -- for declaration of villages as Western Ghat ESA -- detailing specific purposes for exclusion of 21 villages.
The Ministry 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 has 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, last year, for ground verification and consultation with the State government. Following their visit, the Ministry wrote to the State seeking revised proposal.
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.
