Moratorium on new projects in coastal Maharashtra extended
October 31st, 2011 - 9:08 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS) The union environment ministry has extended till December 2011 the moratorium on considering new projects in Maharashtra’s coastal Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts, officials said Monday.
However, the environmental clearances already granted to projects in the districts will continue to be in force, despite the moratorium, the officials added.
The ministry had, Aug 16 last year, imposed a four-month moratorium on considering projects for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as the matter was referred to the Western Ghat Ecology Expert Panel.
According to the ministry’s notification, the moratorium has been extended because the ministry has received the report and is now considering it.
The decision on the moratorium was taken after representations from various quarters expressed concern over the environmental impact and ecological degradation due to projects being proposed in these districts.
Keeping in view the ecological importance of the Western Ghats, the ministry has also constituted the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, headed by environmental expert Madhav Gadgil.
The panel has suggested measures for conservation, protection and rejuvenation of the Western Ghats and also examines the developmental trends in the region.
The Western Ghats, covering an area of approximately 1.6 lakh sq km, are spread across Gujarat (Dangs region), Konkan in Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala.
The area is rich in flora and fauna and is home to several rare species of birds, animals and reptiles, and new species are discovered regularly.
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Tags: conservation protection, developmental trends, ecological degradation, ecological importance, environmental impact assessment, expert panel, flora and fauna, karnataka, konkan, madhav gadgil, maharashtra, moratorium, new projects, rare species, ratnagiri, rejuvenation, sindhudurg, species of birds, western ghat, western ghats