The heated debate on the report of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) headed by Dr Gadgil, has virtually divided the state with various parties and church groups opposing its implementation.

The main worry of political parties and others is that hast implementation of the report would result in large-scale displacement of the people and farmers living in and around the Western Ghats.

The CPI(M), the CPI and the Kerala Congress(M)) have opposed the Gadgil report on the ground that several recommendations made by it were impracticable. While the survival of the Western Ghats was necessary for the protection of the state’s precious water resources, some of its recommendations could create serious problems in a densely-populated state like Kerala, asserted a statement issued by the CPI(M) State Secretariat. Such recommendations should be rejected, said the statement.

In support of its argument, the state secretariat said, for instance, that implementation of the recommendation against the use of pesticides would inflict lasting damage on the farm sector in the state, already beset by a serious crisis.

Such is the intensity of opposition to the report that the Syro Malabar Church has formed a Western Ghats people’s forum. The forum has signalled its intent to come out with a parallelreport to counter the Gadgil report.

The State Assembly, in the meantime, has passed a resolution that seeks to strike a balance between the issues of development and conservation of environment. The resolution also asked the Centre to accept the report only after a detailed discussion on its recommendations.

has sounded a note of warning against the creation of a fear psychosis that implementation of the report would cause displacement of thousands of famers living in the Western Ghats. Mr Satheeshan said there was nothing in the report which could be construed as anti-farmer. In fact, the report has opposed illegal mining encroachment of forest areas. He added that recommendations like the creation of zones and demarcation of eco-sensitive areas should be openly discussed to clear misconceptions.

On his part, Prof. Gadgil Gadgil has lashed out at the state governments as well as the Centre for trying to suppress the report and avoid a debate on its recommendations. It is the Government’s refusal to have an open debate which has triggered a chorus of criticism by interested groups, he charged.

The CPI has made a valuable suggestion that the state assembly set up a committee which will present the state’s views before the Kasturi Rangan panel which has been told to elicit the views of the six states where the Western Ghats are situated. The suggestion was made in the state assembly by CPI leader and former minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran. (IPA Service)