Digital Goa, Oct 18 – Almost 40 of the 99 villages proposed to be declared as Ecologically Sensitive Areas(ESA) as per Union Environment Ministries draft notification do not meet the criteria for inclusion in ESA, claimed CM Pramod Sawant today. “Continuity with the Western Ghats, height and species are the criteria for inclusion,” he said. Stating that he had studies the matter when he was the Forest Minister,Sawant added, “It is possible to drop 40 villages from the list.” Sawant opined that 10 other villages can be added to the list of 59 remaining villages, to include total of 69 villages under ESA. Committee constituted by the Union environment ministry had recently visited Goa to take inputs from stakeholders over the draft notification. CM has asked the committee to consider inclusion of 69 villages in ESA instead of 99 as proposed in the draft notification. “Inclusion of villages in ESA is for protection of the Western Ghats. However, it does not imply that building of houses and other activities like farming will be prohibited in villages notified as ESA. The list of allowed activities is already in place. Commercial activities will be permitted to some extent. However, red category industries like commercial mining will be prohibited in these areas,” CM elaborated. Union ministry had issued third draft notification last year proposing that 99 Goan villages spread over 1,461 sqkm be declared as eco-sensitive zones. The Mhadei, Netravali, Cotigao, Bhagwan Mahavir, and Bondla wildlife sanctuaries had been included in the Eco Sensitive Zones as per the draft.
