Panaji, Jul 19 (IANS): Capping the extent of mining in the Western Ghats, stretching from Maharashtra to Kerala, is being considered, the head of a panel monitoring the area's ecology said Tuesday.

"We are certainly considering that (capping mining) and we will make some recommendations," said environmentalist Madhav Gadgil, who heads the Western Ghat Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP).

Gadgil was participating in an environment workshop here.

He said the phenomenon of mining had resulted in tremendous degradation of natural resources in ecologically sensitive region, from Maharashtra to northern Kerala.

He said the panel's report would be submitted to the ministry for environment and forests by Aug 31.

Mining has been a hazard in Goa and an emerging cause for concern for southern Maharashtra, which is opening up to iron, manganese and bauxite mining.

Gadgil, also a member of the Goa Golden Jubilee Development Council formed to create a development map for Goa, said that the WGEEP was working at grading the sensitive areas of the Western Ghats and documenting them.

"We are working out a system where there will be different grades of sensitivity and some different kind of regulations may be suggested," he said.