BS cited Mr Jairam Ramesh environment minister of India as saying that the Environment Ministry will decide on the No Go areas in Western Ghats region after receiving the Madhav Gadgil report.

Madhav Gadgil is presently heading the Western Ghats ecology expert panel, which has been mandated by the ministry to suggest ways to protect bio-diversity in this region.

Mr Ramesh said that “Western Ghats is an ecologically sensitive region, full of bio-diversity. As there are a number of development projects coming up in the region, including mining, we have to protect the bio diversity from economic exploitation. The ministry will decide on the Go and No Go areas in Western Ghats after the submission of Madhav Gadgil report.”

He said that control over mining would be crucial to protect various forms of life in this region. He had earlier said his ministry would stick to the Go, No Go concept of forest area classification to prevent illegal and arbitrary mining.

The environment ministry started classifying forested regions of the country into these two zones from 2009. No Go zone imposes ban on any kind of mining on environmental grounds.

(Sourced from Business Standard)