CH NEWS

BENGALURU

Karnataka Minister Madhu Bangarappa on Tuesday said the State government would not allow implementation of the Kasturirangan Report, citing concerns over its impact on farmers and residents of the Malnad region.

Bangarappa said Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar will visit Shivamogga district on September 19 to seek the views of farmers and the public on the proposed implementation of the report.

“The Karnataka Congress government is in favour of farmers, and it will not allow the implementation of the report. The stand of the Congress government over the issue is very clear,” Bangarappa said.

The minister, who hails from Shivamogga, said implementation of the report would affect 20,668 square kilometres spread across 1,576 villages in the Western Ghats. Of these, 484 villages are in Shivamogga district.

He said the villages identified as Eco-Sensitive Areas have human habitation and that the Centre’s proposal had caused anxiety among residents.

Bangarappa said he had discussed the issue with Shivakumar and reiterated that the State would protect the interests of farmers while also supporting environmental conservation.

The State government has convened a special Assembly session from September 21 to 23, during which the drought situation and implementation of the Kasturirangan Report will be discussed.

The Union Environment Ministry reissued the draft notification on Eco-Sensitive Areas in the Western Ghats in July for the seventh time.

The draft proposes a complete ban on mining, quarrying and red-category industries within the notified areas. It also clarifies that agriculture, plantation activities and daily livelihoods of local communities will not be affected.

Bangarappa, however, alleged that the Centre was using the report to harass farmers and stressed the need to protect both the environment and Malnad residents.