Heritage tag alone won’t save Western Ghats

The Western Ghats has finally been granted the status of a world heritage site. That the World Heritage body of the United Nations took six years to take the decision is a different matter as it will help focus the world’s attention on the ecologically and culturally rich mountain range that spreads across Gujarat-Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It has forests older than those in the Himalayan range and has rare flora and fauna like the King Cobra. However, the heritage tag would become meaningful only if the 1,600 km-long mountain chain is preserved in its pristine purity.

The Ghats’ new status casts a heavy responsibility on the government. Apart from the report of a centrally-appointed committee which studied the rich biodiversity of the region and suggested measures to protect it, there has been no well-defined plan of action vis-a-vis the Ghats. The need for such a plan cannot be overemphasised in view of the constant threat the Ghats face from the plunderers of nature. While it is home to several groups of tribals, it also witnesses frenetic ‘development activities’ — a ruse to exploit natural resources of the region.

Small wonder that the UN decision is unlikely to please some powerful politicians, illegal miners and contractors who have been fattening themselves on the region’s wealth. They can now be expected to frustrate any attempt to preserve the distinct identity of the region. The sites where some form of development work had already started and can continue have been identified. That Kerala alone has 39 dams is a measure of the ‘over-development’ that needs to be checked. It was a public campaign that helped save the Silent Valley region from inundation. It is in that spirit that the whole Ghats should be protected and preserved for posterity.