Topic 1: – “Wayanad’s Wake-Up Call:
Advancing Conservation and Protection in the Western Ghats.

The Union Environment Ministry (MoEFCC) has issued a draft notification to declare the Western Ghats an ecologically sensitive area (ESA).
Context: As the devastating series of landslides hit
Kerala’s Wayanad district, claiming nearly 400 lives with the toll expected to rise as rescuers search through the debris, the 13-year-old Madhav Gadgil-panel report on Western Ghats is back in focus. The report has warned against activities such as indiscriminate quarrying and construction in Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs) of the Western Ghats, including regions like Wayanad. The report recommended a complete ban on new urban development in the Western Ghats region to prevent
habitat destruction and pollution.