All India Areca Growers’ Association says it is the responsibility of the government to formulate a policy that balances conservation and the livelihoods of farmers.
| Photo Credit: File Photo
The All India Areca Growers’ Association, Puttur, Dakshina Kannada, has urged both the Union and State governments to completely reject the recommendations of the Kasturirangan committee report.The Western Ghats is an important environmental asset of the country, and its conservation is essential. However, in the name of conservation, it is unacceptable to impose restrictions on the livelihoods of farmers and rural people who have been farming in the foothills of the mountain range for many generations, association president, Mahesh Puchchappady, and general secretary, C.G. Venkatagirish, said in a release on Friday.The pros and cons of the latest draft notification issued by the Union government proposing an eco-sensitive area that covers 20,668 sq. km. spread across 1,449 villages in Karnataka were discussed at a meeting of the association.The association decided to write to the Union and State governments, urging them to completely reject the recommendations of the report, stating that they would have an adverse impact on the livelihoods of farmers.“The role of local farmers in the conservation of the Western Ghats cannot be ignored. For many decades, farmers have been maintaining the ecological balance of the Western Ghats through their agricultural activities. Farmers in the foothills of the Western Ghats have been living in harmony with nature, integrating agriculture, environment, and the rural economy,” the office-bearers said.Therefore, instead of imposing restrictions in the name of environmental protection that would threaten their agriculture and livelihood, the association demanded that a conservation policy based on local facts and scientific studies be formulated, involving local farmers. It is the responsibility of the government to formulate a policy that balances conservation and the livelihoods of farmers. Measures that threaten their livelihood in the name of conservation will also have an adverse impact on the rural economy, they added.Farmers should be considered an important part of conservation instead of being seen as part of the problem, the association said, adding that there was a need to formulate a policy that is practical, scientific, and in line with local realities that will collectively protect the environment, livelihoods, and the rural economy of the Western Ghats. Published - August 21, 2026 08:51 pm IST
