The recent rain-related disasters have brought back into focus the K. Kasturirangan panel report that recommended declaring 37% of the total Western Ghats region as an ecologically sensitive area, including 20,668 sq. km in Karnataka, spanning over 1,576 villages in 10 districts. The implications of this on livelihoods have, yet again, left people sharply divided, finds Sathish G.T.
When conservation clashes with livelihood
