The Western Ghats are a mountain chain running along the west coast of India, spanning across six states and extending from the river Tapi in the north to Kanyakumari in the south. This 1600 km long chain has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, owing to its ecological significance. In this essay, we will discuss the importance of the Western Ghats and the various threats faced by this fragile ecosystem.

Importance of the Western Ghats

The Western Ghats are home to a vast range of plant and animal species, making it one of the eight biodiversity hotspots in the world. The region is also responsible for feeding a large number of perennial rivers, including the three major eastward-flowing rivers of India – Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri. The mountain chain plays a crucial role in influencing the Indian monsoon weather patterns and receives a tropical humid climate, with the western side receiving more rainfall than the eastern side.

Apart from this, the Western Ghats with their forest ecosystems also sequester a large amount of carbon. It is estimated that they neutralize around 4 million tonnes of carbon every year, which is approximately 10% of the emissions neutralized by all Indian forests.

Threats to the Western Ghats

The Western Ghats are facing various threats due to human activities that are detrimental to the ecosystem. Some of the significant threats include:

Mining: Mining activities have grown rapidly in the Western Ghats, often in violation of laws, resulting in serious environmental damage and social disruption. Unsustainable mining has increased vulnerability to landslides, damaged water sources, and agriculture, negatively affecting the livelihoods of the people living in those areas.

Extraction of Forest Produce: Human communities living within and adjacent to protected areas in the Western Ghats are often dependent on the forest for the extraction of forest produce to meet a diversity of subsistence and commercial needs.

Livestock Grazing: Livestock grazing within and bordering protected areas is a significant problem causing habitat degradation across the Western Ghats.

Plantations: Agroforestry systems in the Western Ghats are replacing native endemic species with tea, coffee, rubber, and monocultures of various species, including the recently introduced oil palm.

Encroachment by Human Settlements: Human settlements occur both within and outside protected areas all across the Western Ghats and represent a significant threat to the region’s ecology.

Hydropower Projects: Large dam projects in the Western Ghats have resulted in huge environmental costs.

Committees and Recommendations
  • Two committees have made recommendations to protect the Western Ghats from various threats.
  • The Gadgil Committee Report, 2011, proposed to divide the area into 2,200 grids, of which 75% would fall under ecologically sensitive zones.
  • None of the six concerned states agreed with the recommendations of the Gadgil Committee.
  • The Kasturirangan Committee, 2012, was constituted to examine the Gadgil Committee report in a holistic and multidisciplinary fashion.
  • The Kasturirangan report sought to bring just 37% of the Western Ghats under the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) zones.
  • The Kasturirangan report recommended a ban on mining, quarrying, and sand mining, no new thermal power projects, and a ban on new polluting industries.
  • The Environment Ministry decided to implement the Kasturirangan Committee report on the Western Ghats and declared ESA over 37% of the region.

MCQs on Protecting the Western Ghats

  1. Which committee primarily demarcated ecologically sensitive areas in the Western Ghats and recommended measures for their management?
    A. The Gadgil Committee
    B. The Kasturirangan Committee
    C. The Environment Ministry
    D. None of the above
    Correct Answer: A. The Gadgil Committee
    Explanation: The Gadgil Committee primarily demarcated ecologically sensitive areas in the Western Ghats and recommended measures for their management. The Kasturirangan Committee was constituted to examine the Gadgil Committee report. The Environment Ministry implemented the recommendations of the Kasturirangan Committee.
  2. What percentage of the Western Ghats did the Kasturirangan Committee recommend bringing under Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) zones?
    A. 37%
    B. 75%
    C. 90%
    D. 100%
    Correct Answer: A. 37%
    Explanation: The Kasturirangan Committee recommended bringing just 37% of the Western Ghats under the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) zones.
  3. What did the Kasturirangan Committee recommend a ban on?
    A. Mining, quarrying, and sand mining
    B. New thermal power projects
    C. New polluting industries
    D. All of the above
    Correct Answer: D. All of the above
    Explanation: The Kasturirangan Committee recommended a ban on mining, quarrying, and sand mining, no new thermal power projects, and a ban on new polluting industries.
  4. What did the Environment Ministry decide to implement and declare over 37% of the Western Ghats?
    A. The recommendations of the Gadgil Committee
    B. The recommendations of the Kasturirangan Committee
    C. The recommendations of both the Gadgil and Kasturirangan Committees
    D. None of the above
    Correct Answer: B. The recommendations of the Kasturirangan Committee
    Explanation: The Environment Ministry decided to implement the Kasturirangan Committee report on the Western Ghats and declared ESA over 37% of the region. None of the six concerned states agreed with the recommendations of the Gadgil Committee.

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