Karnataka opposes world heritage site tag for western ghats
Manu Aiyappa, TNN | Jul 4, 2012, 08.45PM IST
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BANGALORE: From Lena Pillars Nature Park in Russia to the Lakes of Ounianga in Chad (Central Africa), from Sangha Trinational in Cameroon to Chengjiang Fossil Site in China, the nations are celebrating this week after having been honoured with the prestigious Unesco World Heritage Site (WHS) tag.
Karnataka, on the other hand, has been mounting a delayed campaign pressuring the Centre to withdraw the coveted WHS status bestowed on the 1600-km long Western ghats, one of world's biggest bio-diversity hotspots. Under pressure from MPs and MLAs from Malnad region, chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda on Wednesday held a meeting with forest minister C P Yogeshwar and senior officials before deciding to write to the Centre to withdraw the status in what they termed it as in the best interest of people and development''.
There is no benefit from the tag. We have to protect and develop the areas, while UNESCO doesn't give any grants. The international body has no laws, guidelines or schemes. Moreover, once these areas are declared as WHS, we won't be able to take up any developmental activities. Why should we allow someone else to control us?" said Yogeshwar defending the government's stand. He also argued that Karnataka is fully capable of protecting the ghats on its own. According to Unesco guidelines, if a country wants to withdraw its property from the WHS list, it can do so by a representation to the World Heritage Convention. But in this case, the Centre has to reciprocate to the demand of Karnataka and write to Unesco, which does not seem to happen on the face of it.
Apparently, the BJP government in Karnataka, which sat over widespread environmental degradation owing to mining over the last four years, is under pressure from various mining lobby, promoters of mini hydel projects, the timber mafia, tourism resorts and realtors. Acting on the petition from the Western ghats Environment Forum, the high court in 2011 had stalled power companies from setting up 137 proposed new mini hydel projects in the mountain ranges of Western Ghats. The government's plans to open the Western ghats for underground mining of manganese assets is under the scanner. Added to this is the strong nexus between some ruling netas and timber mafia. Karnataka also had its share of bitter experience with Unesco.
It was compelled to construct bridges across the Tungabhadra near Hampi, another WHS in Karnataka after they threatened to withdraw WHS status to Hampi. It was also recently forced to vacate a overcrowded market close to Veerabhadreshwara temple in Hampi. I don't know why the government is hell-bent in opposing the WHS tag. The rules clearly states that the Unesco cannot force anything on local government other than creating awareness and exposing government's anti-environmental measures,'' said K M Chinnappa, environmentalist and former forest officer.
Karnataka, on the other hand, has been mounting a delayed campaign pressuring the Centre to withdraw the coveted WHS status bestowed on the 1600-km long Western ghats, one of world's biggest bio-diversity hotspots. Under pressure from MPs and MLAs from Malnad region, chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda on Wednesday held a meeting with forest minister C P Yogeshwar and senior officials before deciding to write to the Centre to withdraw the status in what they termed it as in the best interest of people and development''.
There is no benefit from the tag. We have to protect and develop the areas, while UNESCO doesn't give any grants. The international body has no laws, guidelines or schemes. Moreover, once these areas are declared as WHS, we won't be able to take up any developmental activities. Why should we allow someone else to control us?" said Yogeshwar defending the government's stand. He also argued that Karnataka is fully capable of protecting the ghats on its own. According to Unesco guidelines, if a country wants to withdraw its property from the WHS list, it can do so by a representation to the World Heritage Convention. But in this case, the Centre has to reciprocate to the demand of Karnataka and write to Unesco, which does not seem to happen on the face of it.
Apparently, the BJP government in Karnataka, which sat over widespread environmental degradation owing to mining over the last four years, is under pressure from various mining lobby, promoters of mini hydel projects, the timber mafia, tourism resorts and realtors. Acting on the petition from the Western ghats Environment Forum, the high court in 2011 had stalled power companies from setting up 137 proposed new mini hydel projects in the mountain ranges of Western Ghats. The government's plans to open the Western ghats for underground mining of manganese assets is under the scanner. Added to this is the strong nexus between some ruling netas and timber mafia. Karnataka also had its share of bitter experience with Unesco.
It was compelled to construct bridges across the Tungabhadra near Hampi, another WHS in Karnataka after they threatened to withdraw WHS status to Hampi. It was also recently forced to vacate a overcrowded market close to Veerabhadreshwara temple in Hampi. I don't know why the government is hell-bent in opposing the WHS tag. The rules clearly states that the Unesco cannot force anything on local government other than creating awareness and exposing government's anti-environmental measures,'' said K M Chinnappa, environmentalist and former forest officer.
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