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Economic forces feeding on coercion and corruption are responsible for the assault on science and democracy in the country like never before, according to ecologist Madhav Gadgil, who headed an expert panel on the conservation of the Western Ghats. This attack was more intense than the one by religious fundamentalism.

Delivering a lecture on Science and democracy in contemporary India in memory of Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad activist I.G. Bhaskara Panicker, he said the Kerala government should drop the Athirappilly hydroelectric project as it was unviable.

He alleged the governments in power at the Centre earlier too had assaulted science and democracy. Mr. Gadgil claimed that the previous Union government had tried to suppress the report of the Western Ghats panel terming it anti-development. The panel had termed projects such as the Athirappilly hydroelectric project unviable, citing available data.

Mr. Gadgil said the River Research Foundation had authentic data from the Central Water Commission on the amount of water flowing in the Chalakudy river and it also had data about the amount of electricity that could be produced as part of the project. The amount of water in the Chalakudy river was far less than what was mentioned in the project document prepared by the proponents of the project. The claim on power production too was highly exaggerated. The impact on tribespeople, irrigation and tourism too were analysed and found unfavourable. During a hearing on the project, the officials could not counter any of these objections, he said.

Mr. Gadgil said the Kasturirangan panel was appointed later to modify the recommendations of the panel headed by him. He said that the Kasturirangan panel had not consulted them while preparing the report, which was unethical. To justify their actions, they lied that they had used better quality satellite data, he said. Mr. Gadgil said he was ready for a debate on the recommendations prepared by both the panels to prove his point.

As far as the assault on democracy and science was concerned, he said there was not much of a difference between the situation in States ruled by BJP such as Maharashtra and Goa or non-BJP parties like Kerala and Karnataka.

Even a Left Front government was supporting capitalistic projects like special economic zones against peoples interests, he said, citing the example of the Indian Oil Corporation plant at Puthuvype.

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Science and democracy under threat, says Gadgil - The Hindu