CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS V EXECUTIVE SUMMARY VI 1. INTRODUCTION 2 1.1 BACKGROUND 2 1.1.1 ISSUES IDENTIFIED WITH ESA NOTIFICATION PROCESS 3 1.1.2 CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS AROUND ESA IN INDIA 4 1.1.3 STATUS OF ESA PROPOSALS CONSIDERED BY THE MoEF SINCE 2000 (Kapoor, M., Kohli, K. and Menon, M., 2009) 6 1.2 AREA OF INTEREST 7 1.3 AIM 7 1.4 OBJECTIVES 7 1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 7 1.6 SCOPE & LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY 8 1.7 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 9 1.7.1 FRAMEWORK FOR DATA COLLECTION & ANALYSIS 9 1.8 JUSTIFICATION FOR SITE SELECTION 10 1.8.1 ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TALUKA 11 1.8.2 SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TALUKA 11 1.8.3 ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TALUKA 11 1.9 STRUCTURE OF REPORT 11 2. ECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE AREA NOTIFICATION 14 2.1 ESA IN BRIEF 14 2.2 THE PROCESS OF IDENTIFICATION 14 2.2.1 REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO IDENTIFY PARAMETERS FOR DESIGNATION OF ECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE/ FRAGILE AREAS, 2000 (PRONAB SEN COMMITTEE) 15 2.2.2 EXPERT COMMITTEE TO EXAMINE THE PROPOSALS FOR DESIGNATING AREAS AS ECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE AND TO REVIEW THE EXISTING AREAS (MOHAN RAM COMMITTEE) 15 2.2.3 HILL STATIONS COMMITTEE 17 2.3 THE PROCESS OF DECLARATION & IMPLEMENTATION 17 2.4 ESA AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION TOOL 18 2.5 ESA AND OTHER LAW & LEGISLATIONS 18 3. ESA & DAHANU 22 3.1 TALUKA AT A GLANCE 22 3.2 ENVIRONMENTAL LEGAL HISTORY OF THE TALUKA 22 3.2.1 RESPONSE TO THE NOTIFICATION 23 3.3 DAHANU ESA NOTIFICATION 23 3.4 THE DAHANU TALUKA ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AUTHORITY (DTEPA) 24 3.4.1 DTEPA MEMBERS 25 3.4.2 ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES 25 3.4.3 ACTIVITIES OF DTEPA FROM 1996 - 2008 26 3.5 REGIONAL PLAN 28 4. THE STUDY AREA 30 4.1 THANE 30 4.2 DAHANU 30 4.3 CLIMATOLOGY 31 4.4 RIVER SYSTEM 32 4.5 SOIL AND CROPPING PATTERN 32 4.6 NATURAL WEALTH 32 4.7 DEMOGRAPHY 33 4.7.1 TRIBAL POPULATION 33 4.7.2 SEX RATIO 34 4.7.3 LITERACY RATE 34 4.7.4 WORKERS 35 4.8 SOCIAL AMENITIES 35 4.9 ECONOMY OF THE TALUKA 37 4.10 SURVEY DESIGN 37 4.11 PROFILE OF THE VILLAGES SELECTED 38 4.11.1 LAND HELD BY TRIBALS 39 4.11.2 IRRIGATION PROJECTS 39 5. DAHANU ESA: AN ASSESSMENT 42 5.1 CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE NOTIFICATION 42 5.1.1 THE PROCESS OF IDENTIFICATION 42 5.1.2 THE PROCESS OF DECLARATION AND IMPLEMENTATION 43 5.1.3 ESA AND OTHER LAW AND LEGISLATIONS 44 5.1.4 PEOPLES PARTICIPATION 44 5.1.5 DTEPA AS AN AUTHORITY 45 5.2 ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH 45 5.2.1 EMISSION PARAMETERS AT DTTP 46 5.3 ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL PROFILE 47 5.3.1 AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOME 47 5.3.2 CHANGE IN HOUSING TYPOLOGY FROM KACCHA HOUSE TO PUCCA WITHIN LAST 5 YEAR 47 5.3.3 PHYSICAL ASSETS 48 5.3.4 AVERAGE HOUSING UNIT SIZE 49 5.4 ANALYSIS OF ECONOMIC PROFILE 49ii 5.4.1 INDUSTRIAL WORKERS 49 5.4.2 AGRICULTURAL LABOURERS 50 5.4.3 ORCHARD OWNERS 50 5.4.4 FARMERS 51 5.4.5 FISHING 51 5.5 REVIEW OF DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY LOST 52 6. CONCLUSION 58 ANNEXURE 61 I DAHANU ESA NOTIFICATION 61 II MoEF NOTIFICATION FOR THE FORMATION OF DTEPA 66 III SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRES 68 IV DAHANU - LOCATION MAP 77 V RAINFALL IN DAHANU (mm) 78 VI SOCIAL AMENITIES WITHIN THE VILLAGES SELECTED 80 REFERENCES 8