80% of Karnataka's draft ESA already under protected forests, Minister tells Assembly

Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister B. Eshwar Khandre, who previously held the Forest portfolio, told the Legislative Assembly on Monday that a large majority of the land identified as Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) in Karnataka's draft notification is already under conservation. Of the 20,668 sq km proposed as ESA in the State, roughly 16,000 sq km lies within tiger reserves or reserved and protected forests, he said during a debate on the Kasturirangan report.

The Minister said the remaining concern centred on the 1,449 villages spread across 10 districts that also feature in the ESA draft. He argued that the Centre should be persuaded to exclude these villages from the notified area.

Drawing a comparison with the neighbouring State of Keralam, Mr. Khandre noted that its ESA had been scaled down from about 13,000 sq km to 9,900 sq km so that local livelihoods would not be affected.

He also criticised the committee headed by forest officer Sanjay Kumar, set up by the Centre to examine the views of States and affected people on the Kasturirangan report, alleging that it had not visited the villages concerned. Had the panel discharged its mandate properly, he said, Karnataka would have received justice.

At the same time, Mr. Khandre emphasised the need to balance environmental protection with the livelihood needs of residents, pointing out that safeguarding the pristine Western Ghats matters for survival as well, since several rivers originate in the range.

Congress member A.S. Ponnanna raised concerns over the scale of the proposed zone, stating that 46.5% of the Western Ghats area in Karnataka had been categorised as ESA in the draft notification. He said the cultural landscape was the main point of dispute and that the decision had been taken without consulting people or visiting the affected region.