Thiruvananthapuram: The opposition LDF has called for a state-wide strike protesting against the central government's move to implement the Dr. K Kasturirangan report on Western Ghats. The strike has been peaceful so far. In the hilly areas of Idukki, the people also began a strike by staying on the roads.
The Kasturirangan report states that about 123 villages in Kerala have been branded as ecologically sensitive. According to the report, it has banned sand mining, quarry works, functioning of industries that come under the red category and buildings and development of any township or construction over the size of 20,000 sq m in the ecologically sensitive area.
The report has acknowledged and allows for the presence of humans in the areas. They have divided the area into cultural and natural landscape. The cultural landscape is human dominated land of settlements agriculture and plantations.
The Kasturirangan panel was set up to study the Gadgil committee report on the Western Ghats. The Gadgil panel report had faced severe opposition as it recommended that almost three-fourth of the hills, including plantations, cultivated lands and large habitations, be turned into a restricted development zone with an over-arching authority to regulate the region superseding the elected authorities' role.
According to the Gadgil report it had about 700 villages as ecologically sensitive which included towns such as Vatiyoorkavu and Punalur in it.
The Centre has clarified that the report will be implemented only after all stakeholders give their consent and opinion.
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