Dilution Of Conservation Policies In The Western Ghats Of Karnataka
- IJLLR Journal
- Mar 19
- 2 min read
Dilution Of Conservation Policies In The Western Ghats Of Karnataka: Legal Implications Of The Gadgil And Kasturirangan Committee Reports - With Special Reference To Threats And Conservation Of Elephants And Tigers In Western Ghats
Sheela M J, School of Law, M S Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences
ABSTRACT
The Western Ghats, recognized as one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, play a critical role in ecological stability and wildlife conservation in India. In Karnataka, this ecologically sensitive region has increasingly faced threats arising from developmental pressures, land-use changes, and policy dilution. This research paper examines the legal and environmental implications of the Gadgil Committee Report (2011) and the Kasturirangan Committee Report (2013), with particular emphasis on how their recommendations have influenced conservation policies in the Western Ghats of Karnataka. While the Gadgil Report adopted a precautionary and community-centric approach by advocating strict regulation of ecologically sensitive zones, the Kasturirangan Report proposed a comparatively diluted framework allowing greater scope for developmental activities. The paper critically analyses how selective implementation and dilution of these recommendations have contributed to habitat fragmentation, human–wildlife conflict, and declining wildlife corridors.
Special focus is placed on the increasing threats faced by elephants and tigers, two keystone species whose survival is intrinsically linked to the ecological integrity of the Western Ghats. Encroachment, infrastructure projects, and mining activities have disrupted migratory routes and breeding habitats, undermining the objectives of existing wildlife protection laws. The study further evaluates the adequacy of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, environmental clearance mechanisms, and judicial interventions in addressing these challenges. It concludes by advocating for stronger implementation of conservation-oriented recommendations to ensure long-term ecological and wildlife security in the Western Ghats of Karnataka.
Keywords: Ecological stability, Wildlife conservation, Habitat fragmentation, Human–wildlife conflict, Encroachment.
