Kasturirangan report against peoples interests: Gadgil

Kasturirangan Panel report on Western Ghat was not nature-friendly and was against the interests of people, Madhav Gadgil, who headed the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), claimed today.
Gadgil, whose committee's recommendations have been opposed by various state governments, warned that if the report was implemented, development projects would be given the green signal, thus adversly affecting the sensitive ecology of the western ghats.
Here to attend a national seminar on 'Environment and Society-The India Challenge', Gadgil came down on the Union government and the Kasturirangan panel report allegedly distorting the recommendations of the panel headed by him.
A "draconian picture" had been presented on his findings, Gadgil told reporters here.

"With very limited resources, we've prepared a very comprehensive database which is democratically oriented. People have misconceptions about the report as the authorities ignored our demand for making it available in grass root level," he claimed.
Speaking at the seminar, Gadgil said projects for conservation of natural resources and human environment prepared without consulting the custodians of such natural resources and addressing the problems of those affected will not have societal acceptance which is necessary for its implementation.
Noted environmentalist M K Prasad was honoured at the function, which was attended by former Supreme Court judge V R Krishna Iyer.