File photo of the Western Ghats. | Photo credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
In a move that bodes well for the conservation of the Western Ghats, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has rejected two separate proposals seeking diversion of forest land in Ankola and Karwar talukas for stone quarries.
The decisions are based on on-site inspections that highlight concerns about the ecological fragility and potential for irreversible damage to the Western Ghats ecosystem, one of the world’s most critical biodiversity hotspots.
The first proposal sought to divert 3.55 hectares of forest land in Baleguli village, Ankola, for logging and laying an access road. In the inspection report, K. Yasodha, Deputy Inspector General of Forests, MEF&CC Bengaluru Regional Office, noted that the area, though leased for cashew cultivation, hosts considerable vegetation and undocumented floral diversity.
Vulnerable to landslides
The report also noted that the sites were located on steep, erosion-prone slopes with a history of heavy rainfall, increasing their vulnerability to landslides.
In its recommendation, the regional office refused to support the project due to many shortcomings and ecological risks. It noted that allowing mining in the area would lead to widespread destruction of the ecology of the Western Ghats.
A second proposal, for diversion of 0.49 ha in Arav village, Karwar, was rejected with the same emphasis on environmental sensitivity.
Message
The inspection report states that the site where the proposed quarry was to be set up falls squarely within the notified ecologically sensitive area of the Western Ghats, classified as a tropical moist deciduous forest with a dense canopy.
Wildlife reported to be present in both areas included spotted and leopard, mouse deer, pangolin, sloth, sambara, forest cat, jackal, monitor lizard and reticulated python, among others. Significantly, tiger tigers were also found during an on-site inspection in the region.
The department noted that the area supports rich biodiversity, including Schedule I wildlife species, and is highly prone to erosion and landslides due to intense monsoons and mountainous terrain.
Tree enumeration again
A complete tree count was also deemed necessary as the forest cover was found to be richer than previously recorded, according to the report.
Environmental observers see the rejection of the twins as a powerful message to protect the ecologically fragile Western Ghats, where unregulated mining has been repeatedly linked to habitat fragmentation, soil destabilization, flooding and disruption of wildlife movement.
Conservationist Giridhar Kulkarni said a few days ago that the tiger had traveled nearly 360 km from Nagarahole reserve to Karwar forest division in Uttara Kannada district. In this context, the move was significant for the long-term conservation of the Western Ghats ecosystem and tiger conservation, he added.
Activists say the decisions should signal a shift towards tighter controls on mining activities in ecologically sensitive zones and imperatives to prioritize long-term conservation over short-term commercial gains.
Published – 23 Nov 2025 20:35 IST
