Recently, three out of the six states where the Centre has proposed ‘Eco-sensitive areas (ESA)’ to safeguard the Western Ghats have requested a reduction in the size of these ESAs.

About Western Ghats

• About: The Western Ghats are a mountain range that runs almost parallel to India’s western coast. They span 1,600 kilometres from the mouth of the Tapti River near the Gujarat-Maharashtra border to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.
• It covers six states: Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.
• Biodiversity: The Western Ghats harbor over 30% of India’s plant, fish, herpetofauna, bird, and mammal species.
  • Additionally, it boasts the unique shola ecosystem, characterised by montane grasslands interspersed with patches of evergreen forest.
• Resources: The Western Ghats are abundant in certain areas of iron, manganese, and bauxite ores. 
• Plantations: This region supports numerous plantation crops and is a significant source of timber.
  • It also contains many wild relatives of cultivated plants, such as pepper, cardamom, mango, jackfruit, and plantain.

Enroll now for UPSC Online Course

DOWNLOAD PDF