The Karnataka government has decided to convey to the Centre, in particular Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh, that it is not interested in the UNESCO tag for the Western Ghats. It is another matter that the objection may indeed be late given that the subject is expected to come for discussion in a session of the World Heritage Committee scheduled for Sunday.

Sources in the State government told The Hindu that the matter was expected to figure in the next meeting of the State Cabinet and a resolution would be adopted and thereafter conveyed to the Centre. However, even if a communication is sent to the Centre expressing opposition to the UNESCO tag, it may still be too late. The heritage tag subject is yet to be discussed with Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, who is away in Kottayam. The Chief Minister is scheduled to return to Bangalore only on June 21.

Minister for Higher Education V.S. Acharya, who has been holding discussions with a group of senior Ministers, including Minister for Forests C.H. Vijayashankar, said: “We are not interested in the heritage tag status. We have conserved our rich forests for several centuries and the existing law is enough. The UNESCO tag is of no benefit to the State. Rather it will only be a hurdle to constructive conservation. We are already regretting the heritage tag given to Hampi.”

A senior official of the Forest Department said: “We will stand by our dissent irrespective of the fact that the Western Ghats are also spread over Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra and Goa and those States have not expressed any dissent on the proposed UNESCO tag. The matter has been discussed and we are opposed to the move.”

Dr. Acharya said: “As made out by the Union Minister for Environment and Forests, the UNESCO tag will mean a no-go area for people, including tribals living in the forests of the Western Ghats. A large population resides in the Western Ghats regions, spread across 10 districts — Shimoga, Dakshin Kannada, Udupi, Chikmagalur, Uttara Kannada, Hassan , Belgaum, Dharwad, Hubli and Uttara Kannada. Of the 176 revenue taluks in the State, the Western Ghats forests are spread across 59 taluks. It is well nigh impossible to force the people out of these regions.” Of the 39 forests for nomination from the Western Ghats in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Goa and Maharashtra, there are 10 forest zones in Karnataka for which the UNESCO tag is being sought. These include the wildlife sanctuaries at Pushpagiri, Brahmagiri, Talacauvery and Someshwara, apart from the Kudremukh national park.