Gadgil and Kasturirangan Committee Reports – UPSC Prelims PYQ 2016

‘Gadgil Committee Report’ and ‘Kasturirangan Committee Report’, sometimes seen in the news, are related to

1. Constitutional reforms
2. Ganga Action Plan
3. Linking of rivers
4. 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.

Answer: (d) Protection of Western Ghats; Difficulty Level: Easy