The Dakshina Kannada-Udupi district unit of Parisarakkagi Naavu, an NGO for environment protection, on Friday, April 12, urged candidates contesting the Lok Sabha elections to include protection of the Western Ghat-Coastal Karnataka belt in their poll manifesto.
The organisation in a statement here said the fragile ecosystem of the ghat and the coastal region is being affected by many unscientifically planned and executed development projects. The livelihood of thousands of people as well as the life of flora and fauna are under threat due to unregulated development projects. Destruction of mangroves, concreting roads, felling of trees in the ghats for development works, unscientific waste management etc., have severely affected the environment.
The NGO therefore urged candidates to spell out their stand on the protection of the Western Ghats and the Coastal belt, implementation of the Madhav Gadgil report on Western Ghats and providing eco-sensitive region tag, complete halt on unscientific projects in core forest areas, protection of elephant corridors, protection and rejuvenation of Shola forests and mangroves and the like.