Western Ghats conservation now a poll issue in Kerala’s Idukki

The Kasturirangan Committee report on the conservation of Western Ghats has become the issue in Idukki Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala. While the Kasturirangan Committee identified 13,108 sq km in Kerala as ecologically sensitive zone (ESZ), Kerala government argued that only 9,993.7 sq km area should be kept under ESZ. The state government’s recommendation for reducing the sensitive area was accepted by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) earlier this month.

The Indian National Congress has now denied it’s sitting MP P T Thomas a ticket to contest the upcoming 2014 elections, slated to begin from April 10.  He was the only political leader in Idukki who took a clear and bold stand regarding the conservation of the Western Ghats (Read the interview). Instead of Thomas, the party has fielded debutant Dean Kuriakose, the state Youth Congress president, from Idukki.

Report of the high level working group on Western Ghats (Kasturirangan Western Ghats Report)

Report of the Western Ghats ecology expert panel 2011 (Madhav Gadgil Western Ghats Report)