Cooperative forums of Shivamogga to stage protests opposing draft ESA notification
Representatives of cooperative societies in Shivamogga have decided to launch a campaign, involving people from across the district, against the draft notification declaring Ecologically Sensitive
Representatives of cooperative societies in Shivamogga have decided to launch a campaign, involving people from across the district, against the draft notification declaring Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA) in the Western Ghats, based on the recommendations of the committee led by K. Kasturirangan. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issued the draft notification for the seventh time, designating 20,668 sq.km of Western Ghats as ESA, on July 27. There is time till September 26 to file objections. Of the total 1,449 villages listed in the proposed ESA, 473 are in Shivamogga district. Shivamogga District Cooperative Central Bank (DCC) president M.R. Manjunath Gowda, who is also chairperson of the Malnad Area Development Authority, said the people of the district were opposed to the notification.
When the draft notification was issued earlier, the people, particularly cooperative societies spread across the district, had filed objections; the bodies would do so again this time under the banner of Western Ghats Cooperative Farmers’ Forum of Shivamogga district. “We are taking out a protest march in parts of Hosanagara, Sagar, Tirthahalli, Shivamogga and Shikaripur taluks to oppose the draft notification. The first protest march will be held on August 29 at Hosanagara and later similar marches would be taken out in other taluk centres,” he said. He maintained that once these villages are declared part of the ESA, the local public will face many restrictions on their daily activities and agricultural practices. “Areca growers are already facing many problems caused by diseases such as kole roga (fruit rot) and leaf spot.
The restrictions to be imposed in the ESA will prohibit farmers from using medicines to protect their crops. Besides, there would be forcible implementation of organic farming, and people would face hardship in laying roads and building houses. Through the protest marches, we will spread awareness among the public and ensure they file objections,” he added. Gowda said a mega rally would be held in Shivamogga in October, involving people from across the district, to oppose the notification. B.R. Jayant, also a Congress leader, said the ESA notification would render all the notified villages into open prisons. “The idea behind the notification is to make the villages void of people. We have opposed the notification in the past and will continue to do so,” he said.
The BriefWire