NEW DELHI: In wake of heavy floods battering Kerala again, former Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on Sunday blamed that the Western Ghats Ecology report is still unimplemented even after a decade. He said, the non-implementation of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel report authored by eminent ecologist Madhav Gadgil in 2011, as the major reason for frequent occurrences of devastating floods and landslides in hilly areas of Kerala
"Whenever there is a natural disaster in Kerala, the Madhav Gadgil's Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel report of 2011 is recalled. A ten-year later it remains unimplemented-despite devastating floods in 2018 and 2020", Ramesh wrote on Twitter, a day after flash floods and landslides wreaked havoc killing people and damaging properties in hilly areas of Kerala's Kottayam and Idukki districts.

Kerala is facing extreme floods in at least three districts, and according to the state Revenue Department, at least 25 people have lost their lives in the heavy rains and landslips in the past two days. There has also been extensive damage to infrastructure, especially power.

The former Union Environment Minister said that the report has continuing significance for the whole Western Ghats extending over 6 states but miserably it has been mothballed while ecological destruction continues unabated.

Dalai Lama extends prayers for Kerala flood victims

Kerala floods: A bride and groom reached their marriage hall in a cooking vessel

Kerala flood situation: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu condoles loss of lives