‘Gadgil Committee Report’ and ‘Kasturirangan Committee Report’, sometimes seen in the news, are related to
- Constitutional reforms
- Ganga Action Plan
- Linking of rivers
- Protection of Western Ghats
Explanation
Option (d) is correct
- Madhav Gadgil Committee:
- • The MoEF constituted the Western Ghats Experts Ecology Panel (WGEEP) in 2010. The Panel submitted its report in 2011 with a stringent assessment of the condition of the Western Ghats. It was criticised that the committee failed to balance development and conservation.
- Recommendations of Gadgil Committee (WGEEP) Report: The report asked for a bottom-to-top approach, i.e., from Gram sabhas to the top. It had recommended that a massive 64% of the area come under Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA). Within this area, smaller regions were to be identified as ecologically sensitive zones (ESZ) I, II or III.
- 75% would fall under ESZ I or II or already existing protected areas such as natural parks.
- No new dams based on large-scale storage should be permitted in ESZ I.
- No new polluting industries, including thermal power plants, should be allowed in ESZ I and II.
- The existing red and orange category industries should be asked to switch to zero pollution by 2016.
- The committee proposed a Western Ghats Ecology Authority with statutory powers to regulate these activities
- Kasturirangan Committee: MoEF set up the High-Level Working Group (HLWG) under the Chairmanship of Dr K. Kasturirangan to study the recommendations of the Gadgil Committee.
