Karnataka CM pledges support for Western Ghats farmers amid Kasturirangan report

Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Tuesday gave assurances to farmers dependent on Western Ghats cultivation that his government would stand by them despite recommendations in the Kasturirangan report on the ecologically sensitive region.

Addressing a public consultation in Tirthahalli, Shivakumar directed the Forest Department to refrain from issuing eviction notices to traditional cultivators currently working on forest and agricultural land in the Western Ghats. The directive represents a significant policy position ahead of potential implementation of the report's recommendations.

The Kasturirangan report, submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has proposed stricter regulations for activities in the Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot. The report's recommendations have sparked concerns among farming communities dependent on the region for their livelihoods.

The Chief Minister's intervention reflects growing political pressure from agrarian constituencies in the Western Ghats region. The state government appears to be balancing environmental concerns with the immediate welfare of traditional farming communities who depend on cultivation in the sensitive ecological zone.

The exact timeline for further government action on the Kasturirangan report recommendations remains unclear, with the Forest Department instructed to maintain the status quo regarding farmer settlements.