End Mass Tourism In Ecological Hotspots, Says G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant

India's G20 Sherpa, Amitabh Kant, has expressed concerns regarding the ecological sensitivity of Wayanad and other hilly regions, emphasising the need for stricter control over construction clearances. "I feel devastated about the Wayanad landslide," Kant said, referring to the recent catastrophic landslides near Meppadi in Kerala's Wayanad district. The state government reported that the death toll from these deadly landslides has reached 222, PTI reported.

"What Wayanad has seen is that suddenly it has become popular for tourism purposes, and what we have seen is the mushrooming of over 400 resorts in the region," Kant said in an exclusive interview with NDTV Profit.

In many of these regions that are ecologically sensitive, the power and authority to give construction clearances and permits, especially with the degree of slope greater than 20% and riverbeds, should be taken away from the panchayat and the municipalities, he said.

That clearance should be vested in committees with the knowledge and power of either the state or the central government for a broader perspective on sustainability, Kant said.

He advocated for a comprehensive carrying capacity study of these regions, stressing the importance of sustainable development. "The government of India must commission the carrying capacity study of this region," he said.

"I am against mass tourism in hilly areas and other ecologically sensitive zones. We need fewer high-value tourists to sustain unit value from tourism in these hilly areas. This also ensures that the tourists that we get also give back to the destination. When you are doing sensitive, high-value tourism, your ability to create jobs is much better," he said.

He urged the declaration of these areas as ecologically sensitive, based on the Gadgil Committee report and called for more reforestation and sustainable agricultural practices.

Tea, rubber, and coffee plantations have replaced dense green forests in Kerala, he pointed out.

"We need to do a lot more reforestation in these areas. We need to bring back sustainable agriculture practices rather than large-scale plantations, as it has an adverse impact on the soil culture of the region," he said.

When human development is not compatible with sustainable development, there will be very adverse effects in the long term, especially in the biodiversity hotspots in the country, Kant said. Therefore, changes in land use should not be allowed, and the construction of tunnels and roads should be very sensitively handled, he asserted.

He also highlighted the collapse of urban governance in major cities, citing issues with waste collection and segregation. "As there is no proper collection and segregation of waste, we need to lay focus on municipal corporation governance, capacity development, outcomes, and cleaning up our cities," Kant said.